China's Premier to Meet with Financial Leaders

Top executives from 22 financial services firms are scheduled to meet with Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji today in New York.

The meeting, hosted by the American Bankers Association, is designed to let the executives discuss financial services issues in China. "It is an open forum," an ABA spokeswoman said. "There is no agenda."

Premier Zhu's talks with financial services executives follow his trip here to meet with President Clinton. The Chinese leader wanted the United States to support China's entry into the World Trade Organization.

While progress was made, the deal fell through over a variety of disputes, including a disagreement over consumer auto financing and other banking issues.

The ABA is paying for the event, which will include top officials from the banking, securities, and insurance industries. Companies expected to attend include Chase Manhattan Corp., Bankers Trust Corp., Cigna Corp., and Goldman, Sachs & Co.

The ABA spokeswoman said the Chinese government approached several financial services executives seeking an industry meeting. The executives referred the government officials to the ABA, the spokeswoman said. This is the first time the ABA has sponsored an industry forum with a foreign head of state, she said.

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