Xiangmihu boosts APEC 'China Year' sister-city ties

On March 31, a delegation from Italy visited Xiangmihu Subdistrict in Futian District, Shenzhen. The delegation included government and business representatives. It was led by the former chairman of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, and the head of the International Network for Small and Medium Enterprises. The group toured the Xiangmihu International Friendship Service Center.

Futian District and Italy’s Puglia Region are sister cities. Xiangmihu Subdistrict organized this event to promote cooperation between the two sides. The focus was on future industries such as intelligent manufacturing, financial technology, and green energy. The goal was to explore new opportunities for collaboration.

The delegation first visited the Honor Global Headquarters Exhibition Hall in Xiangmihu. They saw the latest developments in smart terminals and AI ecosystems. They were impressed by the strength of Shenzhen enterprises in intelligent manufacturing. This visit laid a solid foundation for future technical cooperation and market collaboration.

The delegation then went to the Xiangmihu International Friendship Service Center, a one-stop platform serving international talents and foreign-related businesses. The visitors toured its main areas. These included a comprehensive consulting service zone, a corporate brand display area, and a digital human section. They learned about the center’s foreign-related public service system. This system uses a "human + AI" model. It covers legal services, business travel, taxation, talent policies, and corporate support, providing targeted assistance to international professionals working and living in Shenzhen.

During the exchange session, a representative from the Xiangmihu Subdistrict Office introduced the area’s location advantages, industrial resources, and innovation environment. The representative said the subdistrict is linking with landmarks such as the Shenzhen International Communication Center and the Financial Culture Center to build a high-end resource platform with global reach, and welcomed international partners to share in development opportunities.

On the same day, the Xiangmihu Subdistrict Office and representatives from the Poli Biblio Museali Regione Puglia signed a cooperation memorandum. The agreement uses culture as a bridge. It aims to support mutual exhibitions and personnel exchanges. After the signing, both sides unveiled the “We Are in Puglia — Sino-Italian Investment Club,” a platform focusing on intelligent manufacturing, green energy, and financial technology, serving as a dedicated channel for resource matching and project collaboration between entrepreneurs from both regions.

The delegation included Umbra Group, a global leader in aerospace manufacturing, T2i (Trasferimento Tecnologico Innovazione Sistema Camerale Veneto), an official technology transfer institution in northern and central Italy. The two sides also discussed using the service center to provide one‑stop support for Italian companies and for joint China‑Italy technology development.

This event was a concrete step by Xiangmihu Subdistrict to meet the internationalization requirements of the APEC "China Year." Moving forward, Xiangmihu Subdistrict will continue to rely on the International Friendship Service Center. It aims to attract more international innovation resources. It will deepen mutually beneficial cooperation with the Puglia Region in industry, technology, and culture. This will help Shenzhen be a good host as it welcomes APEC.