26/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - On a visit to Beijing, the President of the European Central Bank (ECB) Wim Duisenberg painted a moderately optimistic picture of the world economic situation on Monday. In a speech made at a symposium organised by the People's Bank of China, the Chinese Central Bank, Mr. Duisenberg considered that the risks linked to the events of 11 September "seem largely to have flown away", and that there should be a slight upturn in the world economy in 2002, with an acceleration in 2003. "There are now increasing signs that seem to indicate that the slowdown in the world economy could have reached the end at the end of 2001", he declared.