Sixteen young key opinion leaders (KOLs) representing 14 countries gathered at Tencent’s global headquarters in Binhai Building on June 24 to kick off the third Future Close-up program, during which they will embark on a weeklong tour of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

The program, jointly organized by Tencent and China International Communications Group, aims to showcase China’s dynamic achievements to international KOLs, with a particular focus on the GBA’s tech scene this year.

Robin Köhnlein, a project manager from Germany, tries the palm payment in Tencent's Binhai Headquarters, Nanshan District, on June 24. Photos by Lin Songtao

The participating social media influencers come from diverse professional backgrounds, including PR officers at energy companies, financial analysts, project managers, and tech students. During the tour, they will visit leading tech enterprises to gain firsthand insights into the innovation landscape of the GBA.

Robin Tim Köhnlein, growth and project manager with Arteus Energy GmbH, flew in yesterday from Germany specifically for the program. He submitted his application for the program in April on LinkedIn. “I felt honored when I was notified by the organizers of my acceptance, about four weeks after handing in my application,” Köhnlein said.

He is particularly looking forward to visiting Shenzhen’s high-tech companies as well as touring Hong Kong.

Participants exchange ideas at Tencent's Binhai Headquarters.

Hugo Fontanel, head of Omnichannel at ViiV Healthcare from France, expressed great interest in China’s digital transformation. He hopes to use this trip to focus on the development models of China’s technology industry and to explore the practical aspects of digitalization.

The 16 participants stood out from approximately 300 applicants this year, according to Zhang Jun, general manager of Tencent’s marketing and PR department.

According to Zhang, over 100 young KOLs from 35 countries have participated in the program since its inception three years ago. He highlighted that upon returning to their home countries, these participants have actively shared their experiences and insights about China, thereby sparking broader interest in the country’s true story.

Participatings wear 3D glasses to witness a precise surgical procedure during a visit to Mindray on the afternoon of June 24.

The participants were briefed on the latest progress of Tencent’s Hunyuan 3D Generation app and challenged to create their own 3D images using the app.

Vanessa Marina Dias Herdade from Portugal, digital solutions manager with Carrefour Global Sourcing based in Shanghai, worked with Brazilian teammate Pedro Henrique Vigné Alvarez to create a fairy with Chinese cultural elements.

“The fairy is cute, isn’t it?” said Herdade, adding that the app is very user-friendly. “We just provide the app with detailed instructions defining what we want to create, and with a little patience, we get exactly what we want.”

In the afternoon, they visited Mindray, a leading global provider of innovative medical devices and solutions.

The KOLs will also visit Hong Kong, Macao, Guangzhou, and Dongguan in the following six days of the program.