Hong Kong Coalition Deputy Secretary-General Eva Cheng told panelists during the welcoming remarks: "Hong Kong, as a major metropolis, has always been smart about integration. I offer that the best place to start doing all this is close to home and with neighbors who know and understand. This is why connecting the GBA with the RCEP is of particular significance."

The Greater Bay Area, consisting of nine mainland cities in Guangdong province and the two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, has a total population of more than 86 million with a combined GDP of nearly $1.67 trillion.