New Zealand has cancelled its plans to host a major meeting of US and Asian leaders next year because of the coronavirus, opting instead to lead a virtual summit, AP reported.

New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said it was necessary to cancel next year's summit now for planning and security reasons.

"There were people who would be coming in months and months in advance, all caught by the Covid-19 situation,” Peters said. “So we had to accept the plain fact that we couldn't do it, other than by the mechanism we're going to use now."

New Zealand was scheduled to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Auckland. The event would have brought thousands of people to the country throughout the year, culminating in a leader's week in November 2021.