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GBA-ASEAN Initiative (GAI)

In the rapidly shifting global economic landscape, the dynamic economies of Asia must deepen their regional integration and trade to achieve continued rapid economic growth, technological innovation, and environmental sustainability.

The GBA-ASEAN Initiative (GAI), proposed by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), is an action-oriented program to strengthen trade, finance, technology, and policy linkages between the Greater Bay Area of China (GBA) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Greater Bay Area of China (GBA), including Hong Kong, Macao, and the nine major cities of Guangdong, hosts a unique combination of world leaders in international finance, cutting-edge technology, and advanced manufacturing facilities, making it one of the world's great growth poles and a crucial partner for ASEAN.

GAI aims to: promote trade, financial, and infrastructure connectivity between the GBA and ASEAN; facilitate strategic business engagements and political dialogue; conduct intensive research across ASEAN and the GBA to generate policy recommendations aligned with the national development strategies of both China and ASEAN, including China’s 15th Five-Year Plan and ASEAN plans for economic and trade integration; and encourage joint reforms in ASEAN and the GBA to promote cross-border investments, capital market access, and Renminbi internationalization.

Program Website

GBA-ASEAN Network

The SDSN will launch the GBA-ASEAN Network, which includes key academic institutions, companies, think tanks, and organizations in ASEAN and China, including: The Institute for International Affairs, Qianhai; CUHK Shenzhen; Sunway University (Kuala Lumpur); HKU (Hong Kong); PKU HSBC (Shenzhen), and Tsinghua University (Beijing).

GBA-ASEAN Leadership Council

The SDSN will establish a GAI Leadership Council consisting of senior officials, business leaders, and scholars from the GBA, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the ASEAN countries. The Council will provide guidance to the GAI to promote regional development and long-term sustainable growth.

Policy Research Program Deliverables

The SDSN will deliver an annual compendium of sector-specific pathways (e.g., energy, transport, finance), combining policy guidance, financing mechanisms, and replicable case studies to accelerate regional climate and sustainability transitions; policy briefs for regional planning and energy transition, with blueprints for green growth, investment, and infrastructure transformation; the Annual GBA-ASEAN Sustainable Development Report with a Strategic Action Brief on National/Regional Plans to guide regional policy and collaboration; and the GBA-ASEAN Happiness Report as the basis for a platform visualizing key indicators across sustainability, economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and SDG alignment, empowering decision-makers with accessible data and stories of impact.

Annual GBA-ASEAN Conferences

The GBA-ASEAN Conferences on Trade, Finance and Sustainable Development will be held twice a year: once in an ASEAN country on a rotating basis, and once in the Greater Bay Area, including Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and other locations. The first GBA-ASEAN Conference was held in Hong Kong (October 31, 2025) and Shenzhen (November 1, 2025), and the second will be held in the spring of 2026.