The government on Tuesday said Chief Executive John Lee will not attend next month's Apec meeting due to "scheduling issues".

Instead, Financial Secretary Paul Chan will attend the upcoming summit in San Francisco.

In a statement, the government said it had been invited by the host country to attend the Apec Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held from November 15 to 17. It also said it had replied that Lee won't be able to attend in person, and Chan will join the meeting on the CE's behalf.

"Apec is a useful platform for member economies to engage in discussions and forge consensus on policy directions and measures that help stimulate economic development in an inclusive and sustainable manner in the region," the statement said. "Hong Kong, China will continue to participate in APEC matters, with a view to contributing to regional economic co-operation by leveraging our distinctive advantages under 'one country, two systems' and our status as an international trade and financial centre."