This year, China will host the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting for the third time, and for the first time in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
Across the Asia-Pacific, economies seeking closer cooperation face widening regulatory gaps, disparate development levels and rising protectionism. Against this backdrop, the GBA, operating under "One Country, Two Systems" with three distinct legal and customs jurisdictions, offers a living laboratory for bridging systemic differences and enabling smoother cross-border flows.
"The GBA's greatest value to the Asia-Pacific lies in providing actionable solutions to many shared challenges," noted Li Shihai, a journalist with Cambodia's ASEAN TOP NEWS.
GBA's solution to cross-border data flows
One example lies in how data move across borders.
At a cross-border computing zone in Shaoguan, a city in northern Guangdong, data from Hong Kong and overseas are being routed through Hong Kong to the zone's computing facilities, where they are processed and then returned.
"Throughout the process, the data leaves no trace and can be used without being directly exposed," said Hao Qiushi, deputy general manager of China Unicom's Shaoguan branch.
The arrangement is designed to address a problem increasingly faced by companies around the world: how to make use of data across borders while maintaining data security.
A bridge that does more than carry cars
The same approach can also be seen in the region's physical connections.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge links Hong Kong and Macao with the Chinese mainland across the Pearl River estuary. Since opening in 2018, it has become a major route for cross-border travel and transport.
Last November, the bridge helped make it possible for cyclists competing in China's 15th National Games to travel between three competition locations with streamlined border procedures, as part of a trial aimed at making cross-border sporting events easier to organize.
By August 10, more than 25 million vehicle trips had passed through its Zhuhai Port.
The connections continue to expand. New measures introduced on August 18 at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port, Hengqin Port and Qingmao Port further streamlined border checks between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.
Across the GBA, new bridges, highways, railways and ports are bringing its cities closer together, making cross-border travel increasingly part of everyday life.
Next connection: people
The region is also testing ways to make it easier for people to work across borders.
Guangdong is piloting a system under which skilled workers can take a single examination and obtain certificates recognized by the Chinese mainland and, where applicable, Hong Kong, Macao or international systems.
A total of 6,374 certificates have been issued under the initiative, with the number issued in 2025 up 59.3 percent from the previous year.
For many Southeast Asian economies, such exchanges of skills and talent could be particularly relevant, said Sun Jifei, deputy editor-in-chief of Indonesia Business Daily.
"Talent exchanges and training in advanced manufacturing and the digital economy are a real need for many countries," Sun said.
The exchanges are now visible in everyday life. Young people from Hong Kong and Macao are starting businesses in mainland cities. Shenzhen residents can make multiple trips to Hong Kong. Some people live in Hengqin while working in Macao.
Meanwhile, Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have expanded services that allow residents to handle more matters across the border. A joint cross‑border public services platform now covers 200 government services, while initiatives in areas such as healthcare, social security, research funding and financial services are making cross-border life easier.
Authors | Chen Siyuan, Zhang Xuanzhen (intern)
Photo | Nanfang Plus
