Media leaders from 40-plus nations adopt Shenzhen Consensus pledging open trade, digital innovation and green growth, as China prepares to host APEC summit in November.
More than 400 media representatives from over 40 countries and international organisations adopted a joint consensus on Saturday ( September 5, 2026) pledging to champion openness, innovation and digital transformation as drivers of prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region, at the close of a two-day forum in this southern Chinese tech hub.
The Shenzhen Consensus, unveiled at the inaugural Asia-Pacific Media Forum, commits signatories to safeguarding the multilateral trading system and reporting on regional integration efforts, including the proposed Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and the stabilisation of industrial supply chains, according to a statement released by the organisers.
Sixteen founding organisations from China and abroad formed the organising committee of a new Asia-Pacific Media Partnership Programme on the sidelines of the event, which drew delegates from UN agencies and regional bodies.
Participants said the 30-year-old Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum remained the region’s most influential economic mechanism and they backed efforts to align policies and share development experiences across member economies.
The consensus also emphasised the role of media in promoting “digital, intelligent and green transformation”, with pledges to expand artificial intelligence applications in journalism and highlight best practices in clean energy and low-carbon construction.
Attendees reaffirmed their commitment to “truthfulness, objectivity and fairness” in reporting and called for deeper cross-border media cooperation, including joint interview projects and cultural exchanges aimed at boosting tourism and youth engagement.
In a nod to host China, the representatives said they had observed “first-hand progress” in technological innovation and industrial upgrading during visits to six cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and they supported development paths “suited to national conditions”.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency launched a global multimedia programme on “Asia-Pacific development stories” in partnership with regional media outlets, while Shenzhen officials announced a separate media cooperation drive focused on technology-sharing and talent training.
A parallel exhibition featuring more than 30 Greater Bay Area companies displayed innovations in intelligent media, embodied AI, smart cities and connected living.
China is set to host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen in November – its third time holding the summit after 2001 and 2014 – with some 300 APEC-related events scheduled across the country throughout this “APEC China Year” under the theme “Building an Asia-Pacific Community to Prosper Together”.
Shenzhen, bordering Hong Kong and once a fishing village, has transformed over four decades from one of China’s first special economic zones into a global centre for advanced manufacturing and innovation.
