High-level officials and societal leaders gathered in Hong Kong on Thursday for a major conference on the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area integration, with keynote speakers highlighting the city’s unique role as a superconnector” between the Chinese mainland and global markets amid rapidly shifting geopolitical and technological landscapes.

The conference, themed “New Dynamics in Asia-Pacific Cooperation, New Opportunities for GBA Connectivity”, was co-organized by China Daily and the Hong Kong Coalition, bringing nearly 300 business leaders, think tank representatives, academia and media, as well as experts from public and private sectors across Asia.

Leung Chun-ying, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, highlighted several recently launched collaborative initiatives in data and healthcare between Hong Kong and Guangzhou’s Nansha, which have underscored the unique role of Hong Kong as a partner and superconnector, linking up the Greater Bay Area and the rest of the world.

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He said that the steps to be taken in the future are clear and necessary – to promote better government-to-business and business-to-business interactions across the boundary between Hong Kong and the cities in Guangdong.  

“The new dynamics unleashed in recent months in the cooperation between the Greater Bay Area Guangdong cities and Hong Kong will benefit other Asian Pacific countries and regions,” Leung said.

In a video speech, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the Greater Bay Area is fast becoming one of the most dynamic and integrated economic powerhouses in the world, underscoring the city’s unique position as the only world city having both China and global advantages.

Lee said that Hong Kong has a “deep and liquid” market and strong talent pool. On the innovation front, he highlighted the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone’s role in bridging Hong Kong research with Chinese mainland manufacturing.

He also stressed talent cultivation, citing five top‑100 universities and the Northern Metropolis University Town’s “One Town, Five Elements” model to integrate education, tech, talent, industry and urban development.

Noting that Hong Kong’s connector role takes on new significance this year, Lee said that the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting will be held in Shenzhen in November, a historic first for the Greater Bay Area, while Hong Kong will host the APEC Finance Ministers' Meeting in October.

“Integrating into and serving the overall national development, Hong Kong brings together ideas, capital and talent across boundaries, and connects the Greater Bay Area with global markets. Together, we are not just building the Greater Bay Area. We are shaping a more connected, innovative and prosperous future,” Lee said.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po stressed connectivity and Hong Kong’s role in connecting the world in an age of profound change driven by geopolitics and technological transformation.

“As the country’s most internationally connected region, the Greater Bay Area presents a strong value proposition for Asia-Pacific collaboration,” Chan said. “It rests on a simple conviction: when we partner, we do not merely add up our strengths — we multiply them, and extend their reach well beyond Asia.”

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Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said that China Daily Hong Kong Edition has witnessed Hong Kong’s remarkable voyage, emphasizing that the city is a superconnector in national economic development and a core engine in the rise of the bay area.

“Amid shifting communication landscapes and unprecedented global change, we will continue to share the living story of and contribute to the ‘one country, two systems’, the dynamism of the Greater Bay Area, and China’s unwavering commitment to an open global economy,” he said.

Qu also said he believed that Hong Kong will maintain its vigor, achieve leapfrog development, and create new glory with its first five-year plan, which is scheduled to be published on Sept 16.

The conference also featured three panel discussions on Hong Kong’s financial opportunities in the changing Asia-Pacific landscape, the synergy in commercial aerospace development between the SAR and Shenzhen, and education in the era of artificial intelligence.

Panelists highlighted how Hong Kong can seize the strategic opportunities arising from deeper Asia-Pacific economic and trade cooperation to further enhance its depth and influence as a global financial hub.

Their discussions also centered on harnessing the Greater Bay Area's robust manufacturing capabilities and Hong Kong's unique advantages as an international financial hub and cross‑border compliance center, exploring ways to build a collaborative commercial space ecosystem.

Furthermore, they discussed how the education sector can rebuild the education model with AI to cultivate a new generation of talent that meets the needs of the Greater Bay Area and the Asia-Pacific market.

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chiandailyhk.com