The 22nd China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair kicked off on Thursday in the city of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province.
The five-day event, which highlights cultural industry development, has attracted 6,312 exhibitors both online and offline, with over 120,000 cultural products on display.
In total, eight exhibition halls are set up at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center, including the one featuring cultural industry innovation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
This year's event has, for the first time, set up a dedicated exhibition area for APEC economies, showcasing the Asia-Pacific region's achievements in cultural tourism. The region's specialty products, creative cultural products inspired by intangible cultural heritage, and regional delicacies are also on display.
Shenzhen is to host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November this year.
Established in 2004, the fair has become a leading cultural event in China and an important platform to assist the Chinese culture in going global.
22nd China Int'l Cultural Industries Fair opens in Shenzhen
The European Commission on Thursday cut its 2026 growth forecast for the European Union (EU), warning that the Middle East conflict has brought the 27-member bloc a stagflationary shock that policymakers may lack the tools to counter.
In its Spring 2026 Economic Forecast, the Commission said the EU economy is now expected to grow by just 1.1 percent this year, down 0.3 percentage points from its autumn forecast last year. Growth outlook for the eurozone, made up of the 21 countries in the EU that use the euro as their currency, was revised down further to 0.9 percent.
Growth is expected to rebound to 1.4 percent and 1.2 percent in the bloc and in the eurozone in 2027, respectively, according to the report.
Inflation in the EU is expected to hit 3.1 percent in 2026 -- a full percentage point higher than previously forecast and well above the European Central Bank's (ECB's) target -- and is expected to fall back to 2.4 percent in 2027, the report noted.
The revision came as the sustained closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed oil prices above 100 U.S. dollars per barrel and disrupted supply chains.
EU cuts 2026 growth forecast as energy shock fuels inflation
