About 1,000 top business leaders from the Asia-Pacific region gathered in the Japanese city of Yokohama Friday for the only international forum that offers interaction with leaders of the most powerful nations in the area.

More than 100 Chinese entrepreneurs joined the two-day CEO summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.

The event this year is held under the theme of "Asia-Pacific as the Driving Force for Global Growth: Seeking Prosperity after Crisis."

Participants focused on issues like the current state and the prospect of global economy and the economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region in their talks.

Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of Nippon Keidanren, said APEC could play a greater role in boosting global economic recovery and sustained growth.

In the summit this year, delegates would engage actively in the talks about APEC's role in further promoting global economic growth and its contribution to the changing economic pattern in the aftermath of the financial crisis, he added.

Economic leaders including Prime Minster of New Zealand John Key and President of the Republic of the Philippines Benigno S. Aquino III, participated in Friday's sessions.

More Leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao are scheduled to join the sessions on Saturday.

Incepted in 1996, the annual APEC CEO Summit is the biggest event of the business community of the region.

The summit was officially recognized as a sideline event of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and gained its current name at the leaders' meeting in Auckland in 1999.