Dear colleagues and friends: It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all to the 13th Asian Pacific Congress of Pediatrics and 3rd Asian Pacific Congress of Pediatric Nursing, which will be held at the Shanghai International Convention Center from October 14-18, 2009. The congress is organized under the auspices of the Asian Pacific Pediatric Association (APPA) which is the regional arm of the International Pediatric Association (IPA) in the Asian Pacific Region. The local organizer of this Congress is the Chinese Society of Pediatrics and Chinese Nursing Association. As the most populous country with over 400 million children under 18 years of age, China has an enormous contribution to make in many areas. In 2001, the 23rd International Congress of Pediatrics was held in Beijing, which was a huge success. With the experience we have gained from organizing the 23rd ICP Congress, we firmly believe, that the 13th Asian Pacific Congress of Pediatrics and 3rd Asian Pacific Congress of Pediatric Nursing in Shanghai in 2009 will by all means serve as another wonderful opportunity for us to share the latest development and knowledge in pediatric and pediatric nursing around the world, especially in the Asian Pacific Region. We look forward to meeting you in Shanghai!