Inside China | Kishore Mahbubani: APEC meeting in Shenzhen could inspire global development

GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- News report from South:

Shenzhen recently hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Informal Senior Officials' Meeting and has been confirmed as the venue for the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Singapore's former ambassador to the United Nations, Kishore Mahbubani — who attended the first APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in 1993 — recently returned to the city. He approached Shenzhen, which he has described as "the fastest-developing city in world history," with analytical curiosity.

"When APEC leaders come here, they will be very impressed," Mahbubani said. "What Shenzhen has achieved can offer genuine inspiration for the world."

That inspiration, he argues, lies in the city's industrial transformation. Standing atop a skyscraper overlooking Shenzhen Bay, Mahbubani recalled looking across from Hong Kong decades ago. "There was nothing here — just rice fields," he said. "Today, the skyline rivals that of major global cities."

At BYD, the Shenzhen-based electric vehicle maker, Mahbubani test-drove new models and observed safety demonstrations of its blade battery technology.

Founded three decades ago, BYD now operates in 116 countries and regions. For Mahbubani, its rise reflects Shenzhen's broader shift from basic manufacturing to advanced technology.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of Shenzhen's designation as a special economic zone. Over that period, the city has grown into one of the largest urban economies on the Chinese mainland, widely seen as a testing ground for China's development policies.

Shenzhen's strengths, Mahbubani noted, are also institutional. At the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, he met start-ups and Hong Kong-funded firms benefiting from integrated government services and policy support — an approach he described as effective and replicable.

In Mahbubani's view, Shenzhen's 45-year development is also the story of how relations with Hong Kong have shifted — from one-directional spillover to mutual reinforcement.

With a young population and a dense innovation ecosystem, Shenzhen continues to attract emerging industries, from electric vehicles to augmented reality. At a time when global growth is slowing, Mahbubani said the city offers a different way of thinking about development.

"What Shenzhen has accomplished can be a real source of inspiration for countries to see how much progress can be made in such a short period of time," Mahbubani said.