Key Apec meeting switched from Hong Kong to Beijing
City replaced as venue by Beijing in 'rare' move, but speculation that the Occupy Central protest could have triggered the decision is dismissed
Hong Kong has been replaced by Beijing as the venue for a meeting of Apec finance ministers and central bankers later this year.
The surprise move by the central government, described by one Apec official as "rare", led to wild speculation about the reasons for the switch.
Some politicians linked it to a radical political rally planned to take place in the city's main financial district in the summer.
But the organisers dismissed that theory yesterday.
Officials of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum (Apec) said the decision was made because US President Barack Obama asked for the leaders' meeting to be pushed back from October to November.
Obama needed to be at home for campaigning in the US mid-term elections, said an Apec official, who asked not to be named.