On July 9, 2026, the APEC Writers’ Visiting Group toured the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) as part of the 2026 Global Writers in Guangdong Program, carrying out cultural exchange and field research. 

Participants included Indonesian writer and literary curator Saut Situmorang; renowned Korean poet and travel writer Lee Byung-ryul; Korean writer, sinologist, and Associate Professor at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies Song Gabin; Mexican writer Manuel Becerra; Peruvian writer Gian Pierre Codarlupo; and Vietnamese full-time writer Nguyen Khac Ngan Vi, among others.

The Writers’ Visiting Group toured the Institute of Robotics Research, Hanyong Library, and the Tao Shuo exhibition at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, experiencing the strong academic atmosphere and cultural heritage at SUSTech and appreciating the long-standing tradition of Chinese culture.

The writers in the group said that this exchange left a deep impression on them. They not only witnessed the vigorous development of cutting-edge technology in Chinese universities but also felt the lively inheritance of traditional culture on campus.

On July 8th, the 2026 Global Writers in Guangdong Program officially kicked off in Shenzhen. Writers from six APEC member economies, Indonesia, South Korea, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam, started their two-month in-depth visits and literary exchanges from the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. Through this immersive “travel and creation” experience, the writers are exploring Guangdong’s modern development and the rich cultural heritage of the Lingnan region, ultimately producing a series of unique original literary works.