He Lifeng attends APEC Business Advisory Council opening in Shenzhen

Beijing is using the ABAC platform to frame the upcoming Shenzhen leaders' meeting as a continuity signal for Asia-Pacific cooperation, with He Lifeng's call for openness and innovation aimed squarely at the region's business community rather than at domestic audiences. The venue choice carries weight: Shenzhen remains the symbolic gateway for China's trade and capital links with the region, and the council's business delegates are the constituency most sensitive to cross-border policy shifts. Whether the leaders' meeting produces concrete commitments on trade facilitation and digital cooperation, rather than positioning alone, is the open question worth tracking.