SHENZHEN, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Drones zip across city blocks, delivering meals to doorsteps. On factory floors, humanoid robots are put to the test. Streets buzz with electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence (AI) is woven ever deeper into manufacturing, healthcare and urban services.
When China hosts the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen this November, delegates will gather in a city that has become one of the country's leading centers for emerging industries. It will be China's third time hosting the event, following Shanghai in 2001 and Beijing in 2014.
Adjacent to Hong Kong, Shenzhen in Guangdong Province was one of China's first special economic zones and has evolved over the past four decades into a global hub for innovation and advanced manufacturing. It is home to tech heavyweights such as Huawei, Tencent, BYD, DJI, and UBTECH, along with a vibrant community of startups spanning sectors from AI to new energy.
In the first half of 2026, the city's trade with other APEC economies rose 33 percent to 1.98 trillion yuan (about 291.6 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for 68.8 percent of its total foreign trade. Today, Shenzhen offers a window into China's new growth drivers and their potential to create new opportunities across the Asia-Pacific region.
LOW-ALTITUDE ECONOMY
Official data show that around 70 percent of China's consumer drones and half of its industrial drones are produced in Shenzhen, home to leading manufacturers including DJI.
Shenzhen is also a testing ground for commercial drone applications, from logistics and emergency response to power-grid inspection.
Food-delivery giant Meituan opened its first drone-delivery route to customers in Shenzhen years ago. By the end of June 2026, its drones were delivering orders from over 1,500 merchants, including KFC, McDonald's and Chinese tea chain Chagee.
To support the industry's growth, Shenzhen has built more than 1,200 low-altitude takeoff and landing facilities and opened 310 logistics routes. Cargo drones completed more than 1 million flights in 2025, up 29 percent from a year earlier.
Shenzhen has also led the way in regulation. In 2019, it became the first city in China to introduce local legislation specifically for the management of civilian light and micro drones.
NEW ENERGY VEHICLES
Shenzhen has emerged as one of China's leading hubs for new energy vehicles (NEVs), backed by strong innovation capabilities and one of the country's most complete industrial ecosystems spanning lithium battery materials, energy storage integration and end-use applications.
One of the best-known companies benefiting from this ecosystem is BYD, headquartered in Shenzhen. The automaker sold around 2.26 million electric vehicles (EVs) in 2025, surpassing Tesla in global EV sales last year. Its NEVs are now available in 119 countries and regions.
The city is also home to more than 1,400 intelligent-driving companies.
Shenzhen is investing heavily in charging infrastructure. In 2023, it launched a drive to become a "city of superchargers," and by 2024, supercharging facilities outnumbered conventional petrol stations. So far, it has built more than 1,200 ultra-fast charging stations with charging power of 480 kilowatts or above.
ROBOTS AND AI
Last year, a robot 6S store, claimed to be the world's first of its kind, opened in Shenzhen and quickly became a local sensation.
Shenzhen has fostered a new generation of robotics companies, including UBTECH, Honor and Leju Robot. By the end of 2025, the city was home to 34 listed robotics companies and nine unicorns.
The sector expanded rapidly last year. Humanoid robot production surged 83.1 percent year on year to 343,400 units, while the total robotics industrial output value in the city exceeded 240 billion yuan, up over 20 percent year on year.
Shenzhen has more than 2,600 major AI companies, with an industry spanning AI chips, algorithm frameworks and foundation models as well as software and hardware applications.
AI-enabled smartphones, translation earbuds, smart glasses and smart toys made in Shenzhen are increasingly reaching both domestic and overseas markets. ■
