Shenzhen will host the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting on November 18-19. The White House has said President Donald Trump intends to attend, Russia has announced that President Vladimir Putin will lead a delegation, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is coordinating her attendance. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet again on the sidelines.
On November 1, Guangdong’s public security department held a mobilization meeting declaring the province had entered a “decisive stage” of security preparations. Police were drawn from across the province to support Shenzhen, with orders to deploy heavy street patrols and strictly control access to key sites. Officials also set up outer checkpoint rings to keep “risk factors” out of the city.
Residents told the reporter that subway bag checks have become stricter, with queues of more than ten minutes. One resident said the measures felt wasteful and that ordinary people could not see what benefit the event would bring them. Others described seeing volunteers and security personnel in colored vests across the city. A retiree said officials were under strict instructions to avoid any incident, while another resident attributed the heightened sensitivity to economic decline and public discontent.
A sauna security guard in Luohu said all customers must now register their ID cards, which are uploaded to the police station, and that a Hong Kong customer left after seeing the notice. Karaoke venues are also inspecting bags. According to a post on X, a restaurant owner in Longhua District said police had chained kitchen knives in place.
Shenzhen has announced drone and aircraft restrictions from November 7-10 in Futian and Nanshan districts, expanding citywide from November 11-21. Non-local passenger vehicles will be restricted in six districts from November 17-20, and hazardous cargo vehicles banned citywide from November 16-20. Employers are encouraged to adopt flexible work arrangements that week.
Source: Radio Free Asia, November 4, 2026
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shehui/2026/11/04/china-apec-heightened-security-shenzhen-restrictions-on-kitchen-knives/