Building an Asia-Pacific Community, Promoting Shared Prosperity — 2026 APEC Summit to Be Held in Shenzhen

Held from 18 to 19 in Shenzhen, this marks the third time China has hosted an APEC Leaders' Meeting—following Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014. It is also the first time the summit will be held in Shenzhen, a core city of the Greater Bay Area. Centered on "Building a Community of Shared Future for Asia-Pacific and Promoting Common Prosperity," the forum establishes three priority areas for cooperation: openness, innovation, and collaboration, charting a clear path for regional development across the Asia-Pacific.

The visual identity of this summit embodies both regional heritage and contemporary spirit. Centered on the Kunpeng, a mythical bird inspired by Shenzhen's nickname "Pengcheng," the logo features 21 interwoven wings representing all 21 APEC member economies. The design captures the image of a great bird spreading its wings, conveying the vision of "riding the momentum to soar together." It symbolizes the shared destiny and collaborative efforts of Asia-Pacific economies in building an integrated development landscape.

Since China announced its assumption of the APEC chairmanship for 2026 in 2024, preparatory meetings throughout the year have proceeded smoothly. From 5 to 19, 2026, the Second Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) was successfully held in Shanghai, with over 1,000 representatives from all member economies and the Secretariat attending. Nearly 40 sectoral working group meetings prior to the SOM covered diverse topics including trade and investment, digital technology, livelihood development, and connectivity. Deputy Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu clarified at the meeting that China will anchor its outcomes on the "APEC Leaders' Shenzhen Declaration," focusing on four pillars—trade, connectivity, innovation, and development—to advance four practical cooperation pathways: exploring an Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area, deepening digital economy collaboration, enhancing regional infrastructure interconnectivity, and promoting inclusive people-centered development. These efforts align with the 2040 "Putrajaya Vision" to transform the vision of an Asia-Pacific Community into reality.

Choosing Shenzhen to host this summit carries dual significance in terms of era and location. As a frontier of reform and opening-up and a global hub for science and technology innovation, Shenzhen boasts a complete industrial chain, a digital ecosystem, and international exchange platforms. It effectively showcases China's achievements in opening up and technological innovation, offering a practical model for innovation cooperation across the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, Shenzhen is fully advancing preparations in venue operations, foreign affairs services, and urban infrastructure, establishing multi-level international platforms to welcome representatives from all sectors of the Asia-Pacific region to discuss future development strategies.

Amidst a sluggish global economic recovery, challenges such as unilateral protectionism and supply chain fragmentation continue to intensify. As the core engine of global growth, Asia-Pacific's deepened regional cooperation is vital. The 2026 Shenzhen APEC Summit will establish an equitable platform for consultation and mutual benefit, urging members to set aside differences and expand openness. Focusing on key issues like digital transformation, green development, and supply chain collaboration, the summit aims to build consensus. Through pragmatic cooperation, we will revitalize growth momentum in the Asia-Pacific region, jointly building an open, vibrant, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community, and injecting enduring strength into global economic stability.