Ridha Albahrani from Saudi Arabia missed out on last year's Future Close-Up (FCU) global youth exchange program due to visa delays. This became a lasting concern for the organizers, who made a special effort to reserve a spot for him in this year's edition, taking place on June 23-30.

This time around, Albahrani's visa was secured as early as May. However, this prudence later proved even somewhat unnecessary. Under a trial policy introduced on June 9, and remaining effective through June 8, 2026, ordinary passport holders from Saudi Arabia and three other Gulf countries can now enter China without a visa for business, tourism, family visit, exchange or transit purposes, provided their stay does not exceed 30 days.

"One way or another, I made it here," Albahrani told Beijing Review. 

The FCU was collaboratively launched in 2023 by China International Communications Group (CICG) Center for the Americas (CICG Center for Americas) and Tencent's Marketing and Public Relations Department—Tencent being a leading Chinese tech and entertainment company. It has always been about opening a window for young participants from around the world to gain a more meaningful understanding of China.

Zhang Jun, General Manager of Tencent's Marketing and Public Relations Department, said at the opening ceremony on June 24 that he believes the event can connect people from different regions and cultural backgrounds. "With this vision in mind, we launched the Future Close-Up program, which has brought together young people from 36 countries and regions over the past three years," Zhang added.

"Communication is, at its core, about human connection," Li Yafang, President of the CICG Center for Americas, said at the closing ceremony on June 29, citing the example of German youth Robin Köhnlein, growth and project manager with an energy company, who was introduced to the 2025 FCU by a Spanish participant from the first edition.

"This kind of dynamic peer-to-peer communication, along with the mutual commitment between the organizing team and the young participants, is what gives this program its unique appeal. We are committed to leveraging our media and communication strengths to foster dialogue and exchange, embracing diversity, and walking side by side with young people around the world who are eager to learn about China—together shaping the future," Li added.

Throughout the last week of June, 16 young delegates from 14 countries and regions—including Albahrani—gathered to explore innovation across China's southern Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), learn about the country's approach to regional cooperation, and gain deeper insights into the forces driving the country's high-quality development. The GBA, comprising nine cities in the mainland province of Guangdong and Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs), is one of the most open and dynamic regions in China.

A desire to understand 

This year, the FCU international participants were selected from nearly 300 applicants. They all arrived in the GBA with their own sense of curiosity.

Torry Ko, Senior Strategy Manager for the Asia-Pacific region at Australian tech company MOLOCO, said he was especially interested in learning how leading firms like Tencent are tapping into the strengths of the GBA to fuel their rapid growth. "China's tech industry is at the forefront globally," he told Beijing Review. 

"I first came to Shenzhen 16 years ago, when I was studying in China. It's incredible to see how much the city has changed. I am looking forward to learning more about the innovation driving China's ongoing reform and development," Ko added.

Russian national Iuliia Bautdinova, who works as a finance and communications analyst at a multinational aerospace corporation, said she was drawn to the FCU program after hearing strong recommendations from previous participants. "My expectation is to get to know how people live here and what they do when they work with the future," Bautdinova said. She was particularly eager to get a close-up of the GBA's renowned electronics and information industry and its ongoing developments.

Hugo Fontanel from France was specifically interested in China's digital transformation. The omnichannel lead at British multinational pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare expected "to learn more about the economic development of China, especially in the tech industry." He also looked forward to meeting more international youth who share a passion for cross-cultural exchange and adventure.

A deep exploration 

In Hong Kong SAR, they visited the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Ltd., the holding company for the region's stock exchange, futures exchange and clearing company.

HKUST's laboratories have pioneered numerous innovative projects in fields like AI, many of which already have practical applications in daily life and have tangibly improved people's lives. "Through this visit, I've seen how universities in Hong Kong continuously reinvent themselves, serve society and play a pivotal role in connecting with the broader international community," Ko said.

The Hengqin-Macao Youth Entrepreneurship Valley in Hengqin Island in Guangdong, a dedicated startup base for Macao youth, has successfully incubated 1,092 companies. Hengqin, next to Macao SAR, is home to an in-depth cooperation zone between Guangdong and Macao established in 2021.

Pedro Steenhagen, a Brazilian Ph.D. student in international politics at Shanghai's Fudan University, said, "I've always wanted to visit Hengqin. Seeing such deep collaboration between Hengqin and Macao—helping businesses seize the vast opportunities in Portuguese-speaking countries while contributing to the development of the GBA—is truly exciting and fills me with great anticipation."

At super app Weixin's (internationally known as WeChat) headquarters in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong, the delegates experienced sending gifts to friends using the app's Blue Packet feature. The Blue Packet is a digital social gifting function, allowing users to select products from Weixin's mini-stores and send them to friends and family with just one click or through group raffles.

Tanvir Parvez Matobbar, President of Beijing-based Tsinghua University's Student Association for Belt and Road Research and a native of Bangladesh, praised Weixin as a highly versatile and user-friendly platform. "On this platform, we can not only socialize online but also shop online. Additionally, Weixin supports numerous mini-programs, allowing us to access various functions without downloading separate apps. All in all, it's truly an all-in-one super app," he remarked.

At autonomous driving startup WeRide in Guangzhou, the delegates got some hands-on experience with self-driving technology by taking a ride in the company's driverless minibus. "At first, I felt a bit uneasy, but later I almost forgot it was an autonomous vehicle. The entire ride felt incredibly futuristic," Steenhagen said.

In addition to technological exploration, they also gained insights into Chinese culture and the country's cultural industry at large. For example, during their visit to China Southern Airlines' Guangzhou Industry-Education Integration Training Base, they observed an exquisite tea ceremony demonstration before rolling up their sleeves to brew, serve and taste the tea themselves, as well as craft some traditional tea confectionery.

Amid the global craze for trendy Chinese toys like Labubu, the quirky forest creature from The Monsters story series that has captured the hearts of countless consumers worldwide, the young visitors were particularly excited to explore Shipai Town in Dongguan in Guangdong—a leading force in the trendy toy industry. At a toy center, they got to choose from some beloved Chinese intellectual properties, try their luck with gachapon machines (Japanese vending machines that dispense small, capsule-wrapped toys or collectibles), and unpack blind boxes.

Dongguan has emerged as a global powerhouse for art toy manufacturing, producing an estimated one fourth of the world's anime derivative products and 85 percent of China's trendy play items. The city boasts a robust ecosystem of over 4,000 toy manufacturers and approximately 1,500 supporting supply chain enterprises.

This comprehensive industrial cluster enables remarkably efficient production cycles, allowing concepts like the popular Labubu figurines to move rapidly from design to finished product.

"Each city in the GBA has its own unique charm, and as one of China's most developed city clusters, the region also hopes to be better understood by the world," Guo Kaitian, Senior Vice President of Tencent, said at the 2025 FCU closing ceremony.

A trip and time to share 

"I hope that through listening, observing and experiencing firsthand, you have gained a genuine understanding of China's development path and become active participants in mutual learning among civilizations," Yu Yunquan, CICG Vice President, said at the closing ceremony. 

An important part of the closing ceremony was the GBA City Innovation Demo Day, where the 2025 FCU participants presented their group proposals on urban cultural exchange. The proposals were the result of a weeklong, in-depth field study and focused on identifying replicable and scalable models from the region's high-quality development, while also offering innovative suggestions for its future growth. 

Following evaluation by a judging panel, the participants then officially submitted all proposals to be archived at the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning for future reference and research purposes.

For example, Marcelina Liszewska, an Asian studies student at Poland's SWPS University, and her teammate Mimi Zhu Xiyuan, an anchor and writer with Wave Media in Shanghai, proposed to develop a WeChat mini program, a lightweight application that runs within the WeChat ecosystem, to help farmers in Poland and the United States connect with urban markets, as well as another mini program to support rural tourism in China.

These proposals stand as concrete examples of how young people can actively promote mutual understanding among civilizations through innovation, Yu said.

Winnie Tam, a senior counsel of the Hong Kong Bar Association and a member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body, also addressed the young delegates at the closing ceremony. She praised their proposals, saying, "I can see that all of you are trying to build bridges in your wonderful projects, and you have innovation at your heart." She added she believes the 2025 FCU will leave a lasting impact on how its participants think and view the world, which can help nurture a more open and inclusive mindset, enabling them to embrace the diversity of human civilizations. 

"Together, let us sow the seeds of friendship, spread the voice of understanding and gather the energy for cooperation, because when countless sparks come together, they can illuminate the path forward for the world," Yu concluded.

(Print Edition Title: THE Greater (BAY) Connect) 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon 

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