The APEC Informal Senior Officials' Meeting concluded on the morning of December 12 in Shenzhen, officially unveiling the theme for the 2026 APEC "China Year": "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together." This vision charts the course for next year's dialogues and paints a collective future for the region.
As the host, China outlined three priority areas: openness, innovation, and cooperation. APEC will uphold the multilateral trading system and advance the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, recognizing that openness is the lifeline of regional prosperity. The focus on innovation will harness artificial intelligence and the digital economy to fuel progress, while deepened cooperation across finance, energy, and SMEs aims to leave no economy behind.
Shenzhen embodies China's opening-up journey, transforming from a fishing village into a global hub. It stands as living proof that openness drives development. As China's "Silicon Valley," Shenzhen is a powerhouse of technological innovation, ready to share its experience and help bridge the digital divide. Its success, built on both internal and external cooperation, offers the "Shenzhen model" — a tangible blueprint for regional collaboration in tech and knowledge sharing.
Reporter | Cai Minling
Video shooting | Zhu Hongbo
Video editing | Li Zhiying
Editor | Yuan Zixiang, Ou Xiaoming, Huang Qini, James Campion, Shen He
