From July 16 to 29, Chengdu will host APEC Digital Weeks 2026, including the Digital and AI Ministerial Meeting (DMM) and several other high‑level events. To promote the series, the city on Wednesday released a video centered on the slogan “Chengdu Keeps Running with the World!” The clip deliberately blends local heritage, contemporary intellectual properties and the digital economy.
APEC Digital Weeks 2026 in Chengdu: dates and format
APEC Digital Weeks 2026 spans two weeks and features the DMM alongside other high‑level gatherings focused on digital technologies and artificial intelligence. The initiative aims to convene public and private stakeholders to address the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation, although the promotional material does not specify the full roster of participants or the detailed session agenda.
A promotional video that mixes heritage and modern IP
The city’s video pairs traditional and modern cultural signifiers: giant pandas, the film Ne Zha 2, the game Honor of Kings, the Dujiangyan irrigation system, and historical and literary figures such as Li Bai, Zhuge Liang and Xue Tao. These images fuse iconography from the ancient Shu region with globally recognised cultural brands, visually signalling Chengdu’s intent to present its cultural identity within a digital and technological framework.
Why this staging matters
By juxtaposing historic sites, cultural figures and popular content, the promotion underscores Chengdu’s differentiator: a rich local culture positioned as fertile ground for experimentation in the digital economy and AI. The narrative strategy is explicit—position the city not merely as a venue for tech events but as a platform where heritage and digital innovation can intersect and amplify one another.
What to expect next
Any concrete outcomes from the meetings and the synergies suggested in the video will depend on the discussions held during the DMM and other APEC Digital Weeks sessions. For now, the campaign puts Chengdu in the spotlight by combining cultural soft power with technological ambition—a strategy likely to attract attention from international policymakers, tech companies, investors and cultural industries.
