On February 12, 2000 (January 8, 2000 lunar calendar), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development opened in Bangkok. The theme of the conference was "Globalization and Development Strategies in the New Century". The 10th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) opened in the afternoon of the 12th at the National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. More than 3,000 representatives from 190 members of UNCTAD and some international institutions attended this first large-scale international conference held at the dawn of the new millennium to discuss issues related to world economy and trade. Leaders of nine countries in South East Asia, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi of Japan, and heads of major international economic institutions such as the international monetary fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization attended the conference. A Chinese delegation led by Zhou Keren, China's vice minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation, was also invited to attend the conference. Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai of Thailand and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the host country of the conference, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. The theme of this conference is "Globalization and Development Strategies in the New Century".