WITH the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting approaching, Shenzhen is mobilizing its 4.2 million registered volunteers to build a broad, targeted and technology-enabled network of international volunteer services. Futian, Nanshan and Bao’an districts are leading efforts to recruit volunteers, develop programs and establish service hubs.

Shenzhen is expanding recruitment and training to develop a diverse pool of international volunteers.

Teodora, a Serbian resident of Futian for over a decade, teaches weekly classes for merchants in Fubao Subdistrict and serves as a foreign liaison for Shixia Community. Fluent in Serbian, English and Chinese, she helps community workers register residents door to door. Since Futian launched the Starlight Plan this year, she has encouraged more than a dozen foreign residents to join its volunteer teams. The plan has recruited 1,500 volunteers from 28 countries and regions who speak 11 languages. Futian has formed 50 multilingual teams and held 17 training sessions for nearly 1,200 core volunteers.

Nanshan has recruited over 1,700 international volunteers speaking 16 languages. Its network includes a district team, eight subdistrict teams and specialized groups. The district has also introduced translation devices.

Bao’an was the first district to form multilingual teams. More than 200 volunteers speaking English, Spanish, French and Korean take shifts at the airport. More than 1,000 people have attended 20-plus English sessions on everyday language and translation software.

The districts’ programs focus on international exchange, city promotion and environmental protection.

Futian has launched 11 flagship and 28 related programs, including Futian Youth Ambassadors and Link+, an international cultural exchange initiative. The programs have held 83 events, involving 10,000 volunteers and serving nearly 40,000 people.

Nanshan is developing programs in organizational coordination, urban improvement and social integration. Its volunteers served at the 2026 Shenzhen (Nanshan)-Belgium Business Leaders Matchmaking Conference, the Dasha River International Dragon Boat Invitational and the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Forestry.

“Volunteers in an international city need language skills and the ability to stay calm in emergencies,” said Luo Zhifeng, a bilingual volunteer in Bao’an. One of the district’s 80 volunteer guides, Luo completed three months of training. He practices English by listening to radio broadcasts and has completed CPR and AED training with the Shenzhen Red Cross.

“APEC is not just an international gathering — it puts a city’s warmth, professionalism and volunteer spirit to the test,” he said.

Bao’an’s three programs are Bay Area Smile Ambassador, Youth Promoter and City Experience Officer. The latter has organized more than 15 tours for international students and foreign-language volunteers. Youth Promoters have made seven multilingual videos about the city and its technology sector.

Shenzhen is expanding volunteer services in business districts and transport hubs. Futian has upgraded eight U Stations for international services and improved 20 other sites to ensure volunteers can respond within 15 minutes. It has also introduced NFC wristbands with multilingual information.

Volunteers at Nanshan’s Go Global service center station greet visitors, provide directions and accompany overseas business guests to innovation parks and companies.

The city’s Woodpecker Action invites volunteers and residents to spot foreign-language errors on public signs. A reporting mini-program developed by Bao’an and Tencent has collected more than 30,000 sign photos and generated over 10,000 suggestions for improvement.(Li Jing)