THE Asia-Pacific Media Forum will open in Shenzhen on Saturday as the country hosts a series of events under the 2026 APEC “China Year.”

Multiple outcomes are expected to be unveiled at the forum, under the theme “Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action.”

Ahead of the event, participating guests are visiting cities in Guangdong, including Guangzhou, Foshan, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Zhongshan.

During the 2026 APEC “China Year,” 300 events are scheduled to take place across the country.

Notably, the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will be held in Shenzhen in November. It will be China’s third time hosting the event, following Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014.

Adjacent to Hong Kong, Shenzhen was one of China’s first special economic zones and has since evolved, over four decades, into a global hub for innovation and advanced manufacturing.

In the first half of 2026, Shenzhen’s trade with other APEC economies rose 33% to 1.98 trillion yuan (about US$294 billion), accounting for 68.8% of its total foreign trade.

Experts believe Shenzhen illustrates how China’s new growth drivers are generating new opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region.

(Xinhua)