President Xi Jinping announced on Saturday that the 2026 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit will be held in Shenzhen, marking the third time China has hosted the high-level regional gathering, RTHK reports.
Speaking to world leaders gathered in Gyeongju, South Korea, for the 2025 APEC summit, Xi praised the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) as an “important growth engine in the world economy” and Shenzhen as a “modern international metropolis”.
Located next to Hong Kong, Shenzhen is the second biggest city in Guangdong Province. The president also described its rapid transformation from fishing village to tech hub as a “miracle in world history created by the Chinese people.”
[See more: Xi-Trump summit yields results in South Korea]
At the summit, held on 31 October and 1 November, Xi met with US president Donald Trump to discuss their countries’ fractured trade relations. The two leaders reached an agreement to reduce US tariffs on Chinese imports and for Beijing to hold off on introducing new export restrictions on rare earths for at least a year.
Other summit outcomes included the Gyeongju Declaration, reaffirming the group’s commitment to a dynamic, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific region with increased cooperation between members. Representatives present also agreed on policy directions regarding artificial intelligence (AI) and demographic challenges such as low birth rates and ageing populations.
The annual APEC summit wound up with a ‘family photo’ of attending representatives, with Xi taking a central position between South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chilean President Gabriel Boric. While Hong Kong and Taiwan (as Chinese Taipei) are also APEC members, Macao is not.
