Leaders of 21 countries in the economically dynamic Asia-Pacific region meet in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Nov. 12-13 for the annual APEC summit.
The formal agenda set by host nation the United States will cover strengthening regional economic integration, promoting "green" growth and expanding regulatory cooperation.
But other issues could also play an important role in the talks, including U.S.-China rivalry and cooperation; Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program; and the impact of the euro zone crisis on global growth.
Here is a quick glance at some of the leaders:
U.S. President Barack Obama:
Obama faces a re-election contest in November 2012, as the U.S. economy struggles with sluggish growth, 9 percent unemployment and virtual deadlock over how to reduce its twin budget and current account deficits.
While he has been criticized by some as unenthusiastic about new trade deals, Obama recently won congressional approval of free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia.
Obama is expected to use the summit in his native state to push forward two growth-promoting trade initiatives -- a green technology pact and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a possible precursor to an Asia-Pacific free trade area.
Chinese President Hu Jintao:
Hu, leader of the world's most populous country, is scheduled to step down from the Communist Party's top spot in the autumn of 2012 and the presidency the following March.
Experts say Hu will look to play down trade tensions with his U.S. hosts, while trying to find symbolic take-aways that play well to a domestic audience. That could mean reiterating promises to make China's yuan currency more flexible without bowing to U.S. calls for more rapid appreciation and pledging support for broadly worded initiatives that jive with the United States' themes for the summit.
The Chinese delegation accompanying Hu will likely watch talks on the TPP trade deal from the sidelines, not wanting to get involved in a U.S.-led deal that would force China to open its economy at Washington's behest.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda:
Noda, Japan's sixth premier in five years, faces a tough balancing act as his government tries to pay for reconstruction from a deadly earthquake and tsunami in March while reining in the country's public debt, which is twice the size of its $5 trillion economy. The rebuilding from the March 11 disaster is Japan's biggest reconstruction effort since World War Two.
Noda has signaled he may seek to join rule-making talks on the TPP to reignite growth in a country with a shrinking, aging population. Despite stiff opposition from the powerful farming sector, he will likely announce Japan's intention to participate in the talks by the APEC meeting in Hawaii.
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak:
Lee's five-year term is up in February 2013, and the South Korean Constitution bars him from seeking another. As a member of the conservative Grand National Party, he is seen as a technocrat who strongly supports big businesses and is well known for his rather hawkish policies toward North Korea.
South Korea is the world's 7th largest exporter, so it is heavily exposed to the global business cycle and needs healthy growth in the United States, Europe and China. Its October exports tally was the weakest in two years.
But it has yet to ratify a U.S. free trade deal that Obama signed last month. The opposition says the deal unfairly favors the United States.
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev:
Medvedev comes to the APEC summit with something of a leg up on his colleagues: He already has a good idea who his successor will be. Medvedev's predecessor, current Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, will seek to return to the presidency next year and, in Russia's stacked political system, Putin is likely to get his wish.
So the APEC summit will be something of a capstone to Medvedev's career, made sweeter by the fact that Russia appears to be on the verge of entering the World Trade Organization. Russia and Georgia are expected to sign a deal next week clearing the way to Russia's accession to the WTO, which Georgia had blocked.
Russia hosts next year's APEC summit in Vladivostok.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon:
Calderon's term ends in December 2012. Since he took power in 2006, 44,000 people have died in Mexico as a consequence of the war on drug cartels. Violence has spun out of control in some areas, but his government can boast the capture of several drug lords. Business leaders are concerned that attacks are hurting the appeal for foreign companies and tourists. So far financial markets have shrugged off the violence.
Mexico is emerging from a recession, but the slowdown of the U.S. economy is taking a toll on growth. Calderon has not lived up to his promise of creating a million new jobs.
Calderon has been a free trade champion. Mexico is among the most open economies of Latin America and has FTAs with 43 countries, more than the United States.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera:
The conservative Pinera took office in 2010 after two decades of center-left governments, promising to end extreme poverty.
However, recent polls show the self-made billionaire as the least popular Chilean leader since General Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship, as he grapples with massive student protests for education reform. The deep unrest has overshadowed his social projects and Chile's robust economic growth.
Chile, which has a top investment grade, is Latin America's most open country. It has 21 trade agreements with 58 countries. Over 92 percent of Chile's trade is done with countries under preferential tariff rates. Chile is taking part in the TPP negotiations.
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala:
Humala took office on July 28 vowing to ensure that Peru's poor share in an economic boom. With early successes, he has enjoyed a long political honeymoon. But his image as an anti-corruption crusader has been threatened by investigations into one of his two vice presidents. Meanwhile, anti-mining protests are spreading.
Orthodox economic policies have been in place in Peru for nearly two decades, helping it achieve investment-grade ratings and years of brisk growth. Since Humala took office, foreign firms have pledged about $15 billion in investments in Peru. In another sign of Humala's trust abroad, the World Bank pledged a $3 billion line of credit to back his anti-poverty agenda.
Humala has said he would honor the free trade agreement Peru signed with Japan in late May, unlike similar pacts already taking effect with the United States and Chile, which he has said he may review. Nevertheless, during his electoral campaign he said he would work to boost exports and favor regional integration. Peru is taking part in the TPP negotiations.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono:
Yudhoyono won a second five-year term in 2009, the maximum allowed under Indonesian law. Re-elected with a strengthened mandate, former army general Yudhoyono is seen as a market-friendly reformer who has presided over Indonesia's best economic performance in a decade.
As a commodity exporter, Indonesia has fared better than some of its neighbors this year because demand for its goods has held up well. Indonesia has been a favorite among foreign investors, but capital outflows surged when the European debt crisis intensified./.