Four days before the world's economic leaders gather, the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen stands ready to receive them. Its officials have spent months readying venues, signs, payment systems and routes through the city, so that the visiting delegates can move through it with ease. Behind the preparations lies a economy that has grown so quickly that it has crossed a threshold few mainland cities have reached, a reminder of how a place's ambitions and its hospitality tend to rise together. The meeting, set for November 18 and 19, will test whether the careful choreography of welcome matches
Shenzhen Says It Is Ready to Host APEC Leaders' Meeting, Touting Visitor Services and Trade Surge
Imports surged 73.7%, nearly closing the gap with exports
Mark
Why does a list of ATMs and signs make the news?
Mimi
Because it shows what hosting a leaders' meeting involves in practice. Nine ports with fast-track channels, 7,000 translation devices, metro acceptance of overseas cards. Those are the things a visiting delegate meets first.
Mark
And the trade numbers? They seem to belong to a different story.
Mimi
Officials put them in the same briefing. Shenzhen passed 5 trillion yuan in foreign trade, 5.25 trillion in ten months, up 40.9%.
Luke
Worth noting that's customs data presented by officials. The report doesn't give the underlying breakdown or any independent check.
Mark
The import figure looks striking, though.
Mimi
Imports rose 73.7% to 2.54 trillion yuan, while exports rose 19.7% to 2.71 trillion. The two are now close in size.
Luke
The report doesn't say why imports jumped so much. Any explanation would be speculation.
Mark
What about readiness? Officials say the city is ready.
Luke
That's the officials' own assessment, made before the event. We'll only know how it went once the meeting happens.
Mimi
The mayor did say disruption to residents was kept minimal. That's a claim residents can judge for themselves.
Luke
Agreed, and nothing in the report offers a resident's view yet.
O Pulso
- Shenzhen has four days to turn rehearsed venues and newly installed systems into a seamless welcome for leaders arriving for the 33rd APEC summit.
- Nine fast-track ports, over 100,000 foreign-language signs and 7,000 AI translators are being deployed to smooth the path of thousands of visiting delegates.
- Officials are working to keep daily life for residents disrupted as little as possible while transport, power and hotels are stretched by the event.
- Foreign trade has surged past 5 trillion yuan with imports up 73.7% and exports up 19.7%, giving the city a strong economic story to tell as the summit opens on November 18.
Four days before the world's economic leaders gather, the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen stands ready to receive them. Its officials have spent months readying venues, signs, payment systems and routes through the city, so that the visiting delegates can move through it with ease. Behind the preparations lies a economy that has grown so quickly that it has crossed a threshold few mainland cities have reached, a reminder of how a place's ambitions and its hospitality tend to rise together. The meeting, set for November 18 and 19, will test whether the careful choreography of welcome matches the substance of the trade it hopes to showcase.
On Saturday, November 14, officials in Shenzhen told reporters the city was ready. In four days, the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting opens in this city in Guangdong Province, and the preparations have been shaped around one simple wish: that visitors should find the city easy to move through.
Venues have been upgraded and rehearsed, and the event has been built around green practices, digital technology and the traditional culture of Lingnan. Much of the effort, though, is quiet and practical. Fast-track channels now run across nine ports by sea, land, air and rail. More than 100,000 standardized foreign-language signs have gone up, and over 7,000 AI translation devices stand at key points. Taxis will announce in two languages, and the metro will accept foreign contactless cards.
Money and travel have been considered as well. Thousands of ATMs will dispense cash against foreign cards, and bank branches will exchange currency, while shops offer tax refunds, many of them instant. Visitors who want to look beyond the conference rooms can choose from 218 sites and 43 routes, two of them in Shenzhen itself.
Mayor Li Yun said the city has strengthened its transport, power, communications and hotels while trying to keep life for residents as normal as possible. Behind all of it stands an economy that has passed 5 trillion yuan in foreign trade, the first mainland city to do so, with imports and exports nearly in balance.
On Saturday, November 14, officials in Shenzhen held a press briefing for the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Week and told reporters the city is ready. The 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is set for November 18 and 19, four days after the briefing, in this city in southern China's Guangdong Province.
Wang Xi, deputy head of the provincial preparatory leading group, described the work done so far. Organizers have upgraded key venues and run rehearsals. They have also built the event around green practices, digital technology and traditional Lingnan culture, he said.
Much of the preparation is aimed at making the city easier to move through for visiting delegates. Dedicated fast-track channels have been set up at nine ports across sea, land, air and rail. More than 100,000 standardized foreign-language signs are in place, and over 7,000 AI translation devices have been positioned at key locations. Taxis will play bilingual announcements, and the metro will accept contactless overseas bank cards.
Money is covered too. Over 3,000 ATMs will be ready to dispense cash against foreign bank cards, and about 1,600 bank branches will be able to exchange currency. Tax refunds will be available at 3,160 shops, and more than 1,000 of them will offer instant refunds.
For those who want to see more than the meeting rooms, Guangdong is offering 218 visitor sites and 43 travel routes during the meeting week. Two of those routes are showcase routes in Shenzhen itself.
Shenzhen Mayor Li Yun said the city has strengthened transport, power, communications and hotel services. He added that it has tried to keep disruption to residents' daily lives to a minimum.
The briefing also pointed to the economy the delegates will be visiting. Shenzhen has become the first city on the Chinese mainland to pass 5 trillion yuan, about $744.6 billion, in foreign trade. Customs data shows imports and exports reached 5.25 trillion yuan in the first ten months of the year, up 40.9% from a year earlier.
Exports rose 19.7% to 2.71 trillion yuan. Imports grew far faster, up 73.7% to 2.54 trillion yuan. The two sides are now nearly balanced. The meeting opens on Wednesday, November 18.
Citações Notáveis
Organizers have upgraded key venues, held rehearsals, and built in green practices, digital technology and Lingnan culture.— Wang Xi, deputy head of the provincial preparatory leading group
The city has strengthened transport, power, communications and hotel services while minimizing disruption to residents' daily lives.— Li Yun, Shenzhen Mayor
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Leia o original em CCTV.com English ↗