Hong Kong Ready to Showcase Strengths as Greater Bay Area Takes Global Spotlight at APEC Meetings

Hong Kong is fully prepared as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) steps onto the global stage with the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) gatherings, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said.

In a video address at the Greater Bay Area Conference on Thursday, Lee noted that China will host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Shenzhen this November — the first time the summit has been held in the GBA. Hong Kong will host the APEC Finance Ministers’ Meeting in October, while a series of ministerial and other meetings will take place across GBA cities.

“The spotlight is on our region. And we are ready,” Lee said. He emphasized that Hong Kong will continue to serve as the region’s “super-connector” and “super value-adder,” linking the GBA with global markets.

Lee highlighted Hong Kong’s distinctive advantages under the “One Country, Two Systems” principle. The city is the only international metropolis that combines China’s strengths with global advantages. It maintains a common law system, free flows of capital, information and talent, a simple and low tax regime, and world-class professional services. These attributes make Hong Kong a unique gateway connecting the mainland with international markets and a leading international financial centre.

He also pointed to the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou innovation cluster, which ranked first among the world’s top innovation clusters in the latest Global Innovation Index, driven by Hong Kong’s research strengths and the mainland’s advanced manufacturing capabilities.

To further enhance competitiveness, Lee said Hong Kong is advancing the development of a university town in the Northern Metropolis. The project aims to foster closer collaboration between universities, research institutions and industry, nurture talent, support enterprises and attract world-class professionals.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po echoed these views in his own video remarks at the same forum. He described the GBA as a vital bridge that can encourage dialogue, deepen cooperation and foster partnerships during the APEC meetings.

Amid geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological change, Chan said Asia has entered a new stage of coordinated development. He noted that bilateral trade between China and ASEAN surpassed US$1 trillion for the first time last year, with expanded cooperation raising the quality and technological intensity of regional supply chains.

Asia now sits at the intersection where safe-haven seekers and high-growth investors meet, he observed, as regional economies both compete and cooperate to expand opportunities and accelerate shared growth.

Chan described the GBA as unique in the world — a single region that brings together a leading international financial centre, one of the world’s most dynamic innovation clusters, advanced manufacturing at scale, and a multimodal transport network. He stressed that partnership multiplies strengths rather than merely adding them, extending their reach beyond Asia.

With the world’s attention turning to the GBA in the coming months, both leaders underscored Hong Kong’s readiness to leverage its institutional strengths and international connectivity to support successful APEC meetings and advance regional prosperity.