SHENZHEN will spare no effort to provide professional, orderly and secure services for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting scheduled for Nov. 18–19, Mayor Qin Weizhong said at a press conference held during the annual session of the provincial legislature, which ended in Guangzhou on Thursday.

Qin said Shenzhen will mobilize resources across all departments to ensure every logistical, security and organizational detail is in place for a smooth, high-standard summit.

The city also plans to deepen cooperation with APEC economies and expand ties with innovative global cities and major ports to broaden its international partnerships. Qin pledged to build a comprehensive, end-to-end international service system — improving international schools, medical services and talent communities — to make it easier for expatriates to live and work in Shenzhen, including access to employment, healthcare, education, tourism and transportation.

On trade and investment, Qin said Shenzhen will pursue greater integration of domestic and international markets, step up efforts to attract both inbound and outbound investment, and promote the “Invest in Shenzhen” brand. The city will support companies’ overseas expansion through sister-city networks, overseas economic and trade offices, chambers of commerce, and other channels to encourage orderly cross-border development of supply chains and industry clusters.

“We will shoulder the responsibilities as a host city and use the APEC meeting as a major opportunity to deepen international cooperation, accelerate urban internationalization, and further open our economy,” Qin said.

He highlighted Shenzhen’s economic performance in 2025, saying that the city’s foreign trade reached 4.55 trillion yuan (US$654.8 billion) last year, topping the country for a second consecutive year. Actual use of foreign capital rose 14.4% year on year, moving Shenzhen to second place nationally by scale.

APEC 2026 will represent a significant milestone, featuring the first five-year review of the Aotearoa Plan of Action. This review will offer a timely opportunity to evaluate progress and refocus efforts toward realizing the APEC 2040 vision of an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community.

In preparation, senior officials will gather for an initial round of technical meetings from Feb. 1 to 10 in Guangzhou.

(Wei Jie)