Macron lands in Bangkok ahead of APEC summit

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Bangkok on Wednesday night to attend the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. Macron and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will join the leaders of the 21-nation economic club as special guests.

Thailand, as this year's host of the annual meeting, said talks will focus on responsible business practices with aims to get agreement on specific goals on issues like climate change mitigation and sustainable trade and investment.

Established in 1989, APEC's official mission is to promote regional economic integration, which in practice meant setting guidelines for development of a free trade area and cooperation on sectors like tourism, forestry, health and food security, small and medium enterprises as well as women's empowerment.