The fourth meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) opened on Saturday in Shenzhen City of south China's Guangdong Province.
The three-day meeting has gathered more than 60 representatives from 21 APEC economies, along with nearly 200 experts and accompanying staff, according to the organizer, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).
The meeting will feature four working group sessions covering regional economic integration, sustainable development, connectivity and digital innovation. These sessions will review the achievements each group has made this year and outline cooperation priorities for the coming year, with China's representative to ABAC chairing the connectivity working group session.
Founded in November 1995, ABAC is the only non-governmental body with an official advisory role in the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, engaging in a formal dialogue and submitting annual policy recommendation reports to APEC leaders.
Also on Saturday, the first 2026 APEC briefing was held at the media center, where officials from the Guangdong provincial government and the Shenzhen municipal government updated reporters on preparations and support services for the APEC meetings.
After the ABAC meeting, Shenzhen will host the 2026 APEC CEO Summit on Nov 17 to 18, drawing the region's top business and government leaders to chart a course for Asia-Pacific prosperity.
This is the third time China has hosted APEC meetings, and the first time in 12 years. China has chosen the theme "Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together" for this year.
4th meeting of APEC Business Advisory Council opens in Shenzhen
4th meeting of APEC Business Advisory Council opens in Shenzhen
4th meeting of APEC Business Advisory Council opens in Shenzhen
Huaqiangbei, the well-known electronics hub in south China's Shenzhen City, has turned its public spaces into immersive tech playgrounds, giving tech-savvy visitors a close-up look at the newest innovations.
The subdistrict is home to an extraordinary variety of electronics commerce. With over 115,000 registered businesses operating in Huaqiangbei, buyers can source more than a million kinds of parts and finished products.
The area also showcases the possibilities of emerging technologies for the public. On the Huaqiangbei pedestrian street, a robot band recently performed a stunning musical set, drawing many spectators.
"I really like it a lot and they have like several kinds of robots. I wonder how they will be in a year," said a visitor from Colombia who stopped to watch the robot band perform.
The performance stage was set up by Huaqiangbei as a platform to demonstrate interesting digital, electronic and AI products and applications. Seven such stages and exhibition spaces are spread along the 930-meter pedestrian street.
"We have opened up public spaces in our district free of charge to cutting-edge companies working in areas such as AI hardware, brain-computer interfaces and customized AI solutions to showcase their products. Huaqiangbei commercial area attracts more than 850,000 visitors a day on average, which provides an excellent platform for companies to present their latest technologies, products and business models to global buyers and visitors," said Xu Jiyue, a local official.
"All the products we are showcasing in our pavilion are AI-related smart devices, and they are all released within the past six months," said Zhang Jibin, head of the Huaqiangbei Global AI Application Scenario Center.
Long known for bulk electronic components and low-cost gadgets, Huaqiangbei's merchandise mix has now shifted toward a growing range of smart consumer goods.
"We have noticed a gradual shift in what customers are looking for. They are no longer just coming in for a screen protector or a new phone battery. Instead, they come seeking cutting-edge, innovative products that truly represent Shenzhen," said Lv Lichao, head of the Huaqiangbei global brain-computer interface industrial application demonstration center.
Shenzhen's electronics hub demonstrate latest technologies to tech-savvy visitors
