100 days is more than a mark on the calendar—it is the steady drumbeat of preparations for a landmark global event. Shenzhen is moving ahead with meticulous and well-coordinated preparations, striving for excellence and working with determination to deliver this major event. As a window into China's unwavering commitment to openness and mutually beneficial cooperation, Shenzhen will showcase to the world the three priorities of the APEC "China Year": Openness, Innovation, and Cooperation.
On August 8, the delegation of journalists from nearly 30 mainstream media at central, provincial, and municipal levels visited YANTIAN, marking the 100-day countdown to APEC economic leaders' meeting. The visit highlighted how YANTIAN, as a major global shipping hub, is leveraging its connectivity and capabilities to support deeper economic and trade cooperation under APEC and contribute to shared prosperity.
The visit drew extensive coverage from leading media outlets, including Xinhua News Agency, CGTN, CMG Radio The Greater Bay, Guangming Daily, and Securities Times at the central level; Nanfang Daily, Southern Metropolis Daily, and Yangcheng Evening News at the provincial level; Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, Shenzhen Satellite TV, and Guangzhou Daily at the municipal level; and Hong Kong media including Phoenix TV, Wen Wei Po, Hong Kong Commercial Daily, and Sing Tao Daily. Through their cameras and reporting, the media captured the vibrant activity at YANTIAN: a world-class, smart and green shipping hub that connects the world and keeps international trade moving.
During their visit to YANTIAN, journalists witnessed the bustling operations firsthand, with massive container vessels berthing alongside the quay and containers being swiftly and precisely loaded and unloaded by quay cranes. After nearly 33 years at the forefront of Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation, YANTIAN has grown from a stretch of tidal flats into a world-class shipping hub, connecting China's vast manufacturing hinterland with markets around the globe.
YANTIAN shared its latest network developments with the visiting media:
🔹 It owns one of South China's most extensive international shipping networks, with around 100 weekly services connecting YANTIAN to destinations worldwide, including 53 services linking to APEC member economies.
🔹 11 new international services connecting YANTIAN with APEC member economies have been launched so far this year, providing direct links to key ports such as Jakarta and Surabaya in Indonesia, and Laem Chabang in Thailand. These new services offer efficient and reliable logistics connections for "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" to reach markets across the Asia-Pacific and beyond.
A global "maritime expressway" spanning the Asia-Pacific and reaching markets worldwide is becoming increasingly connected, as YANTIAN continues to build an efficient and interconnected "maritime bridge" between APEC member economies and the Greater Bay Area.
East Port Set for Year-End Operation, Showcasing China's Smart Port Innovation to APEC
Another major focus of the media visit was the East Port, a more than CNY10 billion project that YANTIAN is developing at full speed. Following an expert review in early July, the first two berths successfully passed project completion acceptance. YANTIAN is working closely with all relevant parties to bring the East Port into operation by the end of this year, showcasing China's smart port Innovation to the APEC "China Year".
For years, YANTIAN has adhered to a development philosophy of "moderate forward-looking investment." The East Port features three fully automated container berths, each capable of accommodating vessels of up to 200,000 tons and designed to handle mega container vessels of up to 32,000 TEUs—33% larger than the world's largest vessels currently in service. With a designed annual handling capacity of 3 million TEUs, the facility is well positioned to accommodate significant growth in cargo volumes.
All cargo-handling equipment at the terminal is now in place. The East Port is equipped with world-leading infrastructure, including China's largest automated dual-trolley quay cranes and berths developed through forward-looking investment. It is also the world's first to enable the handling of both full and empty containers within the same operating system, increasing yard operating efficiency by 30%. In addition, it features China's largest F5G all-optical port network spanning multiple port areas, enabling hundreds of pieces of equipment to operate collaboratively and remotely.
From driving the first pile into the ground to building this automated mega-port, the East Port has incorporated high-quality "Intelligent Manufacturing in China" products and technologies across both infrastructure and communications equipment. The project represents not only a major breakthrough in China's port construction sector, but also a benchmark for leveraging new quality productive forces to drive the intelligent transformation of ports.
Forging Port Partnerships, Expanding YANTIAN's "Circle of Friends"
With a focus on APEC economic and trade cooperation, YANTIAN is continually expanding its "circle of friends" among ports across the Asia-Pacific. At the Shenzhen Port Global Supply Chian High-Quality Development Conference 2026 held last month, YANTIAN initiated and facilitated multilateral port cooperation and signed the Memorandum of Understanding on APEC Sister Port Cooperation with 16 ports from 10 APEC member economies (i.e. Australia, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Thailand, the United States, and Viet Nam). The participating ports included Hutchison Ports and COSCO SHIPPING Ports.
Meanwhile, YANTIAN joined forces with the Shenzhen Transportation Bureau, Shenzhen Maritime Safety Administration, Shenzhen Port Group, the Port of Los Angeles, and the Port of Long Beach to launch the Shenzhen Port International Green Shipping Corridor Cooperation Initiative. Through these partnerships, YANTIAN is bringing the strength of the port and maritime industry to Shenzhen's and China's efforts to expand their international "circle of friends," further advancing APEC economic and trade cooperation and helping ensure the stability and smooth operation of global industrial and supply chains.
The Shenzhen Logistics and Supply Chain Management Association noted: "As this global network of ports becomes increasingly interconnected, what are freight forwarders and supply chain companies in Shenzhen gaining? More reliable shipping services, faster customs clearance, lower costs, and more orders. Ports have never been merely places for loading and unloading cargo. They are launchpads for industries going global, the foundation of supply chain resilience, and the starting point for countless small and medium-sized enterprises to reach the world."
The three priorities of the APEC "China Year"—Openness, Innovation, and Cooperation—are closely reflected in YANTIAN's development over the past 30 years. Building on the opportunities presented by the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period and the 2026 APEC "China Year", YANTIAN will continue to embrace new quality productive forces, further advancing the digital and intelligent transformation and green development of its terminal operations. Working closely with port supervisory authorities and relevant government departments, YANTIAN will provide stable, efficient, and low-carbon logistics channels, fully support the growth of the real economy, contribute to the high-quality development of foreign trade in Shenzhen and China, and take concrete action to deepen connectivity with APEC member economies.