As the host of the upcoming 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting, the tech hub of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province has spruced up its streets, commercial hubs and transit terminals with vibrant floral landscapes and immersive installations, rolling out a welcoming citywide backdrop for international guests.
Ahead of the summit, the city has meticulously crafted 20 thematic topiary sculptures and over 200 landscaped viewports across key thoroughfares and public parks, alongside over 800 floral arrangements.
"I am thrilled and excited, and deeply proud that Shenzhen is hosting such an important meeting. We woke up early to come here, and it is simply beautiful," said Li, a resident who visited one of the displays with her husband.
"Hosting APEC is a privilege for the people of Shenzhen. We brought our child out today to experience the atmosphere and take photos at the landmarks," said Li, another resident.
"The flowers are gorgeous, and I'm very proud. I want to say: 'welcome to Shenzhen, and I hope everyone has a wonderful time here,'" said Wang Zian, a local child.
Public transit hubs have also embraced the summit theme. Underneath the soaring glass dome of Shenzhen Metro's Gangxia North Station, an elaborate "APEC CHINA 2026" installation has seen crowds of commuters pausing to capture photos.
The installation stems from a collaborative initiative between China Media Group's news channel and Shenzhen Metro. Titled "Seeing the Future Here -- 100 Reasons to Fall in Love with Shenzhen," the campaign brings user comments from digital screens directly into subway carriages, featuring heartfelt messages from residents posted inside trains that traverse the city's commuter lines.
"Shenzhen is fashionable, open, and international. It's an inclusive city where everyone has a chance, full of drive and ambition," said Zeng, a passenger.
Major transport portals, including Shenzhen North Station, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport, and Huanggang Port have also received makeovers ahead of the summit. Terminal screens, light boxes, street banners and onboard displays have been updated with APEC-themed visuals, weaving an immersive welcoming environment into the daily commute.
"We feel deeply honored and overjoyed. The decorations are truly stunning. I hope APEC delegates can stay here a bit longer to fully experience the charm of Shenzhen," said Zhang, another resident.
The 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting is scheduled for Nov 18-19. This will be China's third time hosting an edition of the annual event, following meetings in Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014.
Shenzhen spruces up with floral displays, decorations to welcome APEC meeting
Trilateral talks between Russia, the United States and Ukraine ended on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, with Russia and Ukraine reaching an agreement on a "large-scale" prisoner exchange.
Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation at the talks, told a press conference that details of the exchange would be announced soon and that negotiations would continue.
He said the delegations had discussed humanitarian issues, with the future of European security being a central focus of the U.S.-mediated talks.
Medinsky added that parties had reached understandings on some issues, without providing further details.
He defended the need to discuss post-war security arrangements at the current stage of negotiations, saying the conflict in Ukraine had exposed shortcomings in Europe's security system.
Medinsky called for the establishment of a fair security framework that takes into account the interests of all countries.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had been continuously briefed by the Russian delegation on developments in the trilateral talks.
He said that the Russian delegation did not have any contacts with European representatives in Abu Dhabi, and such contacts had not been planned in the first place.
Meanwhile, Jared Kushner, a member of the U.S. negotiating team, told reporters that a lot of serious issues had been discussed, adding the discussions were thorough and covered all major issues.
He noted that the prisoner exchange deal was one of the positive outcomes of the negotiations, with the exact number of prisoners to be finalized on Thursday.
Kushner said the second day of discussions were "very substantive," describing the negotiations as a good first step forward.
He also said he and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff planned to travel to Moscow for further discussions on ending the Ukraine conflict.
Kushner noted that the two would seek progress in Moscow if Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to U.S. demands to end the war, and would meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky afterward.
Kushner added that Russia had its own security concerns and had been asked to put forward proposals to reduce tensions.
On the Ukrainian side, negotiator David Arakhamia, chairman of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction, a Ukrainian political party, said the Abu Dhabi talks had generated "good momentum" toward finding a solution to the conflict before the end of the year.
Rustem Umerov, head of Ukraine's Foreign Intelligence Service and a member of the Ukrainian negotiating delegation, said earlier Wednesday that the Ukrainian team planned to hold separate discussions with European partners following the trilateral session.
"The Russian-Ukrainian war has its implication on the European security structure to begin with. So having the European security structure as part of these trilateral talks is a logical process, because we cannot exclude the effects this war had on Europe's security, on Europe's economy, and it's right on the European border. And that's the whole issue. The main issue that began with is NATO being closer and Europe's security being closer to the Russian border," said Abdulaziz Al-Shehhi, a senior researcher at TRENDS Research and Advisory.
The latest round of Russia-U.S.-Ukraine trilateral talks took place in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday and Wednesday, marking the first meeting among the three countries since February. The first day's discussions lasted nearly four hours, while Wednesday's session concluded in less than two hours.
Although progress was reported on the prisoner exchange, no agreement was announced on a ceasefire, territorial disputes or long-term security guarantees.
Trilateral talks on settlement of Ukraine crisis conclude in Abu Dhabi
