Asia-Pacific Media Forum opens in Shenzhen, building a bridge of understanding and coexistence through media

SHENZHEN, China, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia-Pacific Media Forum opened in Shenzhen, southern China's Guangdong province. Li Shulei, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech. Huang Kunming, secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, also attended and addressed the ceremony. Held under the theme "Building a Path to Shared Prosperity for the Asia-Pacific Community: Media Consensus and Action," the forum brought together more than 400 representatives from over 220 mainstream media organizations, think tanks, government agencies, embassies and consulates in China, UN agencies and international organizations. They came from 42 countries and regions worldwide, with strong representation from the Asia-Pacific, to renew friendships and explore opportunities for cooperation.

China will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting later this year. The development and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region cannot be achieved without the active participation of media outlets across the region. It is important to tell the story of an open and interconnected Asia-Pacific, provide comprehensive coverage of progress and achievements in cooperation across all fields, and foster a favorable public opinion environment for the region's opening and development.

The forum produced a number of practical outcomes: the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Media Partnership Organizing Committee, the exchange of China-foreign media cooperation documents, the launch of the "Gather in Shenzhen, Create a Better Asia-Pacific" Media Cooperation Initiative, and the release of the Shenzhen Consensus of the Asia-Pacific Media Forum (Shenzhen Consensus). These outcomes mark a pivotal leap in Asia-Pacific media cooperation—from "scattered interaction" to "institutionalized collaboration." Against the backdrop of 2026 APEC "China Year," the forum has injected tangible and much-needed media strength into the building of an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.

Ahead of the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, the Media Cooperation Initiative launched by Shenzhen stands out as the forum's most innovative and actionable outcome. The initiative forms a complete cooperation loop built on three pillars: technology sharing, joint content creation, and talent cultivation. On technology sharing, the Asia-Pacific Digital & Smart Media Intelligence Shenzhen Center will be established. Shenzhen is putting in place an advanced technological foundation for media, an open-source HarmonyOS (OpenHarmony) ecosystem, digital-intelligence laboratories and application scenarios, and stands ready to share technologies and outcomes with Asia-Pacific media counterparts, offering a "Shenzhen solution" for the systemic transformation and innovative development of mainstream media in the digital-intelligence era. On joint content creation, the "Witness Miracles, Seek Solutions" co-creation and joint broadcast program will be rolled out. It invites Asia-Pacific media partners to take Shenzhen as a case study and model, and to jointly plan and produce objective, truthful and multi-dimensional content products. On talent cultivation, the Training Base for Asia-Pacific Youth Media Professionals has been established. Each year it will invite Asia-Pacific media professionals—especially those under the age of 45—to Shenzhen for study tours, visits and training.

The Shenzhen Consensus released at the forum builds broad consensus on issues including open cooperation, digital, smart and green transformation, and media exchanges. It advocates safeguarding the multilateral trading system, deepening the application of AI, advancing mutual learning among civilizations, and contributing to Asia-Pacific prosperity.