Shenzhen High-tech Park. Photographed by Shenzhen Special Economic Zone News reporter Zhou Hongsheng An aerial view of Shenzhen High-tech Industrial Park. Zhou Hongsheng Kingdee International provides localized services for overseas companies. (Visual China) Kingdee International provides localized services for enterprises expanding overseas. VCG
Shenzhen News Network, January 21, 2026 (Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reporter Zhou Yumeng) As the window for China’s reform and opening up and the core engine of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Shenzhen has used digital service outsourcing as a breakthrough in recent years to continue to promote the upgrading of the information technology outsourcing (ITO) industry towards high value-added and high-tech content.
According to the latest data from the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Commerce, as of December 2024, Shenzhen's offshore service outsourcing business covers 82 countries and regions around the world, with digital trade import and export of US$60.16 billion, a year-on-year increase of 11.3%. Among them, the export volume was US$29.21 billion, a year-on-year increase of 6.4%. As a national service outsourcing demonstration city, Shenzhen has made particularly outstanding contributions. In 2024, the execution volume of national service outsourcing will increase by 17.4% year-on-year, among which the execution volume of information technology outsourcing (ITO), business process outsourcing (BPO) and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) will increase by 6.47%, 10.95% and 11.69% respectively, becoming an important growth pole for national ITO exports.
Policies are targeted to drive high value-added transformation
In order to consolidate and expand the advantages of the ITO industry, in the past two years, Shenzhen's policy support for ITO/KPO and other high value-added service outsourcing has shifted from "widening the net" to "fine focus".
In 2023, Shenzhen issued "Several Measures to Support the High-Quality Development of Digital Trade" which stipulates that 15% of the execution value of cloud computing and AI outsourcing contracts will be rewarded (with a maximum limit of 5 million yuan for a single project) to promote the transition of enterprises to high value-added fields such as AI and industrial software; the "Shenzhen i Enterprise" platform provides 80% cost reimbursement for corporate employees to obtain international certifications such as AWS and PMP; the "International Professional Qualification Certification" piloted in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone recognizes the IT qualifications of Hong Kong, Macao and Singapore, injecting policy dividends into industrial development.
"Shenzhen's service outsourcing policy has entered a new stage of 'improving quality and increasing efficiency'." Li Ming, director of the Service Trade Research Center of Shenzhen University, said, "In the past, we competed for costs, but now we compete for technology, delivery, and ecology. The government uses real money to guide enterprises to upgrade to knowledge-intensive fields such as cloud computing, AI, and industrial software, which is seizing the window period of global digital transformation."
Diverse entities collaborate to build global delivery capabilities
In the Shenzhen ITO ecosystem, different types of enterprises show their strengths and form a synergistic effect. It not only has global technology giants such as Huawei and Tencent, but also gathered a group of professional ITO service companies, forming a complete pattern of "head empowerment + professional deep cultivation".
Platform technology companies rely on their own technology base to export digital infrastructure capabilities. For example, Huawei Cloud has set up multiple delivery centers around the world to provide localized ITO services to customers in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and other places; Tencent relies on Tencent Cloud and the Qidian platform to build the technical support system for overseas games into an ITO benchmark. "This is no longer a simple code outsourcing, but the output of global digital infrastructure capabilities." An industry analyst commented.
In addition, there are more than 50 leading IT service providers that are listed or in specific fields, including Kingdee International, ChinaSoft International, iSoftStone, and Farben Information, as well as more than 3,000 specialized small and medium-sized enterprises. They have won recognition in the international market with their agile delivery and deep development in vertical fields. For example, Kingdee International has built a three-in-one overseas delivery resource pool to provide localized services to Chinese companies going overseas. Up to now, Kingdee's customer business has spread to 172 countries and regions around the world, and has served a total of 1,000+ overseas benchmark companies, becoming the preferred partner for overseas companies.
The talent structure continues to be optimized to support high-quality development of the industry
Talent is the core driving force for the growth of the ITO industry.
Data shows that as of 2025, the number of registered employees in Shenzhen has exceeded 12.71 million, of which nearly 700,000 are engaged in information transmission, software and IT services, making it one of the cities with the highest concentration of IT talents in the country. In cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing, Shenzhen’s concentration of high-end talents ranks among the top in the country; in the field of service outsourcing, Shenzhen’s talents with multi-lingual and international project experience account for about 24%, which is significantly higher than the 12% average level of the national service outsourcing industry.
Through the three-in-one training mechanism of school-enterprise cooperation, government training, and international introduction, universities such as Shenzhen University and Southern University of Science and Technology have established service outsourcing colleges and jointly built industrial bases with Huawei and Tencent, producing tens of thousands of ICT and information technology-related graduates on average every year.
"Currently, Shenzhen is accelerating from the past model of relying on large-scale supply of human resources to a new stage of value creation driven by high-end talents." The head of Liepin South China said that Shenzhen's engineering team is becoming the core competitiveness of service outsourcing "going abroad".
Focus on cutting-edge areas and contribute to service outsourcing upgrade Shenzhen solutions
Currently, Shenzhen's ITO industry is accelerating its climb to the top of the value chain. In 2024, 11 service trade digitalization cases in Shenzhen were selected as the construction results of the "Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Trade Digital Pilot Zone", covering cutting-edge areas such as AI-driven test automation and low-code platform outsourcing.
Experts generally believe that Shenzhen's ITO industry has initially formed a virtuous cycle of "technology-driven-policy guidance-enterprise implementation". In the future, with the deepening of digital trade rules under the RCEP framework, the advancement of cross-border data flow pilots in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the continued enhancement of corporate international operation capabilities, Shenzhen is expected to occupy a more strategic position in the global ITO value chain.
"Shenzhen ITO's model with technological innovation as the engine, global delivery as the stage, and high value-added services as the core has not only contributed to the Shenzhen plan for upgrading China's service outsourcing, but also set a new benchmark in the reconstruction of the global digital service value chain." Li Ming said.
Zhou Yumeng, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily
As China's pioneering reform hub and the core engine of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Shenzhen is leveraging digital service outsourcing to propel its information technology outsourcing (ITO) sector toward high-value, technology-intensive offerings.
Data from the Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau revealed that as of December 2024, the city's offshore service outsourcing had reached 82 countries and regions. Digital trade import-export volume hit US$60.16 billion in 2024, up 11.3% year on year, with exports growing 6.4% to US$29.21 billion. As a national service outsourcing model city, Shenzhen saw executed contract value rise 17.4% in In 2024, with ITO, BPO (business process outsourcing), and KPO (knowledge process outsourcing) growing 6.47%, 10.95%, and 11.69%, respectively, cementing its role as a key national growth pole for ITO exports.
Shenzhen has refined policy support to consolidate its advantages in high-value segments like ITO and KPO. In 2023 the city introduced a series of measures to promote high-quality digital trade. Among them was a 15% reward-based on executed contract value-for outsourcing projects in cloud computing and AI, steering firms toward premium sectors like industrial software. Additional incentives included the “Shen i Qi” platform's 80% subsidy for international certifications and Qianhai's pilot program recognizing overseas vocational qualifications.
"Shenzhen's policy has entered a stage of quality and efficiency enhancement," noted Li Ming, director of the Service Trade Research Center at Shenzhen University. "Competition is now centered on technology, delivery, and ecosystem – not just cost."
Shenzhen's ITO ecosystem thrives on the complementary strengths of diverse players. Alongside global giants like Huawei and Tencent, the city hosts a cluster of agile service providers.
Platform-based enterprises are exporting digital infrastructure capabilities globally. Huawei Cloud has established worldwide delivery centers while Tencent leverages its cloud and Qidian Platform to transform technical support for game exports into an ITO benchmark. “This represents the export of global digital infrastructure capability, far beyond simple coding,” an industry analyst observed.
Over 50 leading IT firms, including Kingdee International, Chinasoft International, iSoftStone, and Faben Information, alongside thousands of specialized SMEs, are winning international business through agile delivery and deep vertical expertise. Kingdee, for example, serves clients in 172 countries, supporting over 1,000 overseas flagship enterprises.
A robust talent pool underpins the industry's ascent. Shenzhen's employed population had exceeded 12.71 million by 2025, with nearly 700,000 in IT services. making it one of China's most talent-dense IT cities. The city leads in concentrations of high-end talent in AI and cloud computing. Notably, about 24% of its service outsourcing workforce possesses multilingual and international project experience-double the national average.
Local universities, including Shenzhen University and the Southern University of Science and Technology, partner with industry leaders like Huawei and Tencent, producing tens of thousands of ICT graduates annually.
Shenzhen's ITO sector is now accelerating toward the top of the global value chain. In 2024, 11 of its digital trade cases were featured in the achievements of the GBA Trade Digitalization Pilot Zone, spanning AI-driven test automation and low-code platform outsourcing.
Experts expect Shenzhen to take on a more strategic global role as digital trade rules deepen under RCEP, cross-border data flow pilots advance in the GBA, and local firms enhance international operations.
"Shenzhen's ITO model-powered by innovation, staged for global delivery, and centered on high-value services-offers a blueprint for China's service outsourcing upgrade and sets a new benchmark in the restructuring of the global digital value chain," Li said.
(translated by Li Jing)
Approach APEC
APEC Snapshots
APEC organizational structure
APEC has a five-level operating mechanism: informal leaders’ meeting, ministerial meeting, senior officials’ meeting, committees and working groups, and secretariat.
APEC's main topics: As a regional economic cooperation forum, APEC mainly discusses issues related to the global and regional economy, such as trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, regional economic integration, connectivity, economic structural reform and innovative development, the global multilateral trading system, economic and technological cooperation and capacity building, etc.
APEC Structure
APEC operates within a five-tier framework: the Leaders' Meetings, Ministerial Meetings, Senior Officials' Meetings, committee and working-group meetings, and the Secretariat.
APEC's core agenda: As a forum dedicated to fostering regional economic cooperation, APEC primarily addresses global and regional economic issues. Its core agenda includes trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, regional economic integration, connectivity, economic structural reform and innovation, strengthening the global multilateral trading system, and promoting economic and technical cooperation for capacity building.
Looking back at APEC
APEC Through the Years
Second stop:
Bogor, Indonesia
In 1994, the second APEC leaders' informal meeting was held in Bogor, Indonesia. This meeting established APEC's goal of realizing trade and investment liberalization, known as the Bogor Goals, and proposed two timetables for developed members to achieve this goal before 2010 and for developing members to achieve this goal before 2020.
Bogor City is a famous city in West Java, Indonesia, about 60 kilometers north of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, with a population of about 3 million. Bogor has a pleasant climate and abundant rainfall. It is known as the place with the most thunder in the world and is known as the "Thunder Capital of the World". Bogor City has developed agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. Its famous attractions include Bogor Botanical Garden, Sala Volcano, etc. In August 2005, Shenzhen and Bogor established sister cities.
Second Stop: Bogor, Indonesia
The second APEC Economic Leaders'Meeting was held in Bogor, Indonesia, in 1994. At the meeting, APEC leaders adopted the Bogor Goals, which aimed for free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for industrialized economies and by 2020 for developing economies.
Located 60 kilometers south of Jakarta, Bogor is a city of roughly 3 million people. It is known for pleasant climate, abundant rainfall, and frequent thunderstorms—a trait that has earned it the nickname “Lightning Capital of the World.” The city benefits from a well-developed agricultural sector, a strong manufacturing industry, and a thriving tourism scene. Among its notable attractions are the Bogor Botanical Gardens, and the nearby Mount Salak. In August 2005, Bogor and Shenzhen established a sister-city relationship.
Policy highlights
Policy Spotlight
Shenzhen’s “real money” promotes high-quality development of service trade
In May 2025, the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Commerce issued the "Ten Key Points of Policies to Support the Development of Shenzhen's Service Trade in 2025", offering "real money" to encourage companies to explore international markets and fully promote the high-quality development of service trade.
The policy proposes to encourage the undertaking of high value-added outsourcing business. Support service outsourcing enterprises to undertake high value-added service outsourcing businesses such as information technology outsourcing (ITO) and knowledge process outsourcing (KPO), and cultivate a number of industrial clusters and leading enterprises with complete functions and outstanding innovation around the high-end field of service outsourcing. Qualifying enterprises will be awarded up to 1 million yuan each.
At the same time, in December 2025, the Ministry of Commerce, the Central Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Finance, and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued the "Action Plan to Promote the High-Quality Development of Service Outsourcing." It is proposed to support the high-quality development of service outsourcing demonstration cities such as Shenzhen by focusing on the implementation of platform carrier improvement actions and innovation-led actions.
Shenzhen invests heavily in service trade
In May 2025, the Shenzhen Municipal Commerce Bureau rolled out 10 new measures to bolster service trade development, providing strong financial incentives for enterprises to expand globally and upgrade the sector's growth quality.
The policy encourages firms to take on high value-added outsourcing-including ITO and KPO-and aims to foster innovative, functionally advanced industrial clusters and market leaders. Eligible companies may receive rewards of up to 1 million yuan each.
In December of the same year, national authorities issued an action plan to promote the high-quality development of service outsourcing. The plan outlines initiatives such as enhancing platform infrastructure and spurring innovation, and supports high-quality development in demonstration cities including Shenzhen.
