On June 23-30, a dynamic group of young innovators from around the world converged in China for the third edition of the Future Close-Up (FCU) program—an initiative launched in 2023 through a partnership between China International Communications Group Center for the Americas (publisher of Beijing Review) and tech leader Tencent's Marketing and Public Relations Department. Their mission? To experience firsthand how China is shaping tomorrow's technological and cultural landscape.

Sixteen representatives—entrepreneurs, scientists, scholars and digital influencers from 14 countries and regions, including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Australia and Brazil—embarked on an immersive journey through the Greater Bay Area (GBA), a flourishing city cluster in south China. With a population of more than 80 million, the GBA covers an area of 56,000 square km, about three times that of the San Francisco Bay Area. Consisting of nine cities in Guangdong Province and Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, it aims to become a more energetic economic zone ideal for living, doing business and traveling.

The group had the opportunity to delve into China's tech heartbeat, swapping media myths for real-world insights. When global youth engage directly with China's progress, understanding replaces assumptions. The FCU program has over its past three editions become a powerful catalyst for dialogue and mutual learning. Through lively cultural exchange, participating youth have shared their nations' unique traditions and values, creating a sense of cross-cultural inspiration that drives collective human advancement. 

As the third edition's young ambassadors now return home with firsthand experiences, they can transform perceptions in their communities, replacing stereotypes with empathy.

One highlight of this year's FCU program was the GBA City Innovation Demo Day, the second and final part of the program's closing ceremony on June 29. Divided into five teams, participants took to the stage to unveil their bold visions for urban exchange. These weren't just theoretical concepts, but data-driven proposals forged through a week of intensive field research across the region.

Each team distilled the GBA's scalable lessons, adaptable to their home countries, while pitching bold innovations for the region's next chapter. Their "glocal" blueprints for tomorrow bring the future into sharp focus—up close and undeniable.