The First Senior Officials' Meeting and Related Meetings (SOM1), the first event of APEC China 2026, were being held in Guangzhou from February 1 to February 10.
The meeting will focus on "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together," the theme of APEC 2026, along with its three priorities: openness, innovation, and cooperation.
The meeting aims to fully advance cooperation across all sectors and mechanisms, engage in in-depth discussions on concrete collaborative efforts, and lay the groundwork for outcomes to be achieved at the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November.
According to Guangdong Customs, trade between Guangdong province and other APEC economies totaled 6.16 trillion yuan in 2025, up 3.3% year on year.
Exports reached 3.82 trillion yuan, up 1.1%, while imports rose to 2.34 trillion yuan, with a growth of 8.7%.
China's Hong Kong SAR, the United States, and China's Taiwan region were Guangdong's top three APEC trading partners, with trade volumes of 1.28 trillion yuan, 945.32 billion yuan, and 833.08 billion yuan, respectively. They accounted for nearly half of Guangdong's total trade with APEC economies, highlighting the strength of regional economic ties.
Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, achieved a historic milestone in foreign trade in 2025, with total import and export volume exceeding 1.2 trillion yuan. Exports alone surpassed 800 billion yuan, while the city maintained its position as the nation's leader in cross-border e-commerce imports for the tenth consecutive year.
Currently, Guangzhou has established sister-city relationships with 111 cities around the world. Additionally, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport offers flights to 55 countries and regions, and Guangzhou Port is connected to over 400 ports across more than 100 countries and regions.
The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is scheduled to take place in Shenzhen from November 18 to 19.
Reporter: Yuan Zixiang
Video provided by the Publicity Department of Guangzhou
