The 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Shenzhen, the third Chinese city to host this important international event after Shanghai and Beijing.

The announcement, made today at the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, has drawn widespread attention and received positive feedback from international business leaders, officials of international organizations, foreign scholars, and business people in Shenzhen.

'Save the date for 2026 APEC summit in Shenzhen'

Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China), has enthusiastically endorsed Shenzhen's role as the host for the 2026 APEC summit, describing it as a "great opportunity, not just for Shenzhen or China, but the world as a whole."

In a compelling advocacy for the city, Seyedin highlighted Shenzhen's extraordinary transformation and its dynamic economic landscape as key reasons for its perfect suitability to host the global event. The city has shown a meteoric rise from a small fishing village of 30,000 people to a massive metropolis in just several decades. It is often called the "Silicon Valley of China," hosting major international companies. "Shenzhen is absolutely the perfect place to show what human beings can accomplish in a very short period of time when there's peace and cooperation in the world," Seyedin stated.

 "The message is very clear. Please make sure you put the dates for the 2026 APEC in Shenzhen on your calendar," Seyedin urged, adding that it will be an amazing opportunity to discover China, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. "I think the future of investment and the future of technology for all of China will come from Shenzhen," he said.

'APEC a key platform for unlocking green economy potential'

During an interview with Shenzhen, Riccardo Messiano, deputy director of the East and Northeast Asia Office of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), who attended the 2025 Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Forum in Shenzhen, said Shenzhen played exemplary role in low-carbon urban development and discussed how regional organizations, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), could further accelerate climate goals.

"Shenzhen has pioneered electric mobility, green finance, and smart urban management," Messiano said.  

International participants attending the 2025 Carbon Peak and Carbon Neutrality Forum visit the Longgang Energy Ecological Park on Oct. 29. Photographer Liu Xudong

"In my opinion, what makes Shenzhen experience especially valuable is its integrated model where it combines strong political leadership at the local level, public-private partnership and digital innovation."

Messiano held the view that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum is a pivotal platform for unlocking the green economy's potential. He stressed that APEC must focus on two key areas: unlocking financial opportunities for members and driving capacity building, particularly for youth.

'Hope APEC will advance digital cross-border trade'

Vilas Nitivattananon, professor of School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, said that "APEC can facilitate better performance to achieve the sustainable development goals." The Thai professor highlighted APEC's potential to drive climate action through innovation and technology exchange among member economies.

The professor specifically endorsed Shenzhen's metropolitan development model, noting it "can be a good model for megacities." He elaborated that Shenzhen's integrated approaches in "transportation, energy management, and waste management" offer directly transferable lessons for other large Asian cities. He also expressed hope that successful strategies from Shenzhen could be adapted for smaller, medium-sized cities in other countries.

Alessandro Mugnano, CEO of Shenzhen-based Italian wine dealer Interprocom Group, said he hoped that APEC will push further for digital cross-border trade facilitation, noting that measures such as streamlined customs clearance procedures would greatly bolster the international trade of premium goods like Italian wine.

"Shenzhen's role as a trade innovation hub makes it an ideal testing ground for these changes," said Mugnano.

Video丨Liu Xudong, Lin Songtao