Digital innovation is emerging as a key driver of growth across the Asia-Pacific, offering new ways to strengthen regional connectivity, narrow development gaps and promote inclusive growth.

Cooperation in areas such as satellite technology, cross-border data flows, digital trade and artificial intelligence (AI) is helping to build a more connected and prosperous Asia-Pacific community.

Satellite technology strengthens disaster resilience

China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) is evolving from a positioning and navigation tool into a broader digital infrastructure platform.

The annual report on the development of the BDS industry released in September suggested that the industry applications will increasingly combine satellite navigation with technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things, AI, remote sensing, inertial navigation and visual perception to deliver integrated solutions for different sectors.

So far, BeiDou products have reached more than 140 countries and regions, with a market share of 58% in the Belt and Road partner countries. The system has also been incorporated into the standards of 11 international organizations, including the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization.

BeiDou-empowered solutions are yielding practical results across the Asia-Pacific region. In Pakistan, a BeiDou-based flood early-warning system covers 80% of the country's flood-prone areas and provides up to six hours of advance warning, according to Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan's minister of planning, development and special initiatives. Precision agriculture technologies have also helped increase wheat yields by 15%, while smart transport systems have helped ease congestion in major cities such as Karachi.

In Mongolia, pilot applications of BeiDou-based satellite livestock tracking are helping improve real-time animal positioning and emergency assistance in remote areas. Integrated with weather monitoring equipment, the technology can also support more accurate warnings of extreme weather.

New models for cross-border data cooperation

As digital trade expands, the ability to move data securely and efficiently across borders is becoming increasingly important.

In August, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin were selected as China's first batch of pilot sites for international cooperation in the data sector, with support from the National Data Administration. The initiative marks a new step in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a hub for cross-border data cooperation.

The three areas will leverage their respective strengths. Guangzhou plans to build an international data cooperation system integrating infrastructure, rules, platforms and ecosystems, with a focus on emerging digital sectors such as cross-border trade, autonomous systems, healthcare and connected intelligent vehicles. Shenzhen will focus on infrastructure connectivity, mutual recognition of standards, development of cooperation platforms, and cultivation of service ecosystems, with an aim to overcome institutional and technical barriers to cross-border data flows and foster new types of data services for global markets. Hengqin, leveraging its links with Macao Special Administrative Region, will explore cooperation with Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries to establish new hubs and channels for international data cooperation.

In September, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Nansha District in south China's Guangzhou City launched a sandbox cooperation mechanism for the low-altitude economy. The initiative will test rules, standards, technologies and applications, with the longer-term goal of extending cooperation to autonomous vehicles and vessels, supporting the Greater Bay Area in building a world-class industrial cluster for integrated autonomous systems across land, sea and air.

Digital services facilitating channels

Digital connectivity is also making it easier for small- and medium-sized enterprises to participate in regional supply chains.

In Shenzhen, the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone is developing an integrated supply chain service platform to help companies expand overseas. Through the "Shenzhen International Business e-Station," businesses can get full-chain support from market development and financing to intellectual property protection. The platform has established partnerships with 55 overseas industrial park operators in 32 countries and regions, with a focus on markets in APEC economies, including Malaysia, Vietnam and Mexico.

It has brought together more than 200 service providers and supported over 1,900 companies seeking to expand overseas, according to Liu Yang, head of the e-station.

Qianhai has also established Guangdong's first comprehensive service center for cross-border data flows, while a Shenzhen-Singapore cross-border data verification platform has entered trial operation.

At the APEC High-Level Forum on AI in July, China announced plans to establish a national center in Qianhai to promote cooperation on cross-border data flows among APEC economies.

Sharing AI resources

Meanwhile, China advocates for the open sharing of computing resources and works to coordinate the development of digital infrastructure.

At the 2026 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, the Action Initiative for Jointly Building Global Open Artificial Intelligence was launched. The initiative calls on countries to jointly develop and share computing resources and high-quality datasets, establish open-source seed funding, and support countries in the Global South in developing locally tailored AI applications.

"We hope to foster a more open global environment, a better governance framework and stronger security measures," said Wang Jian, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

"From the perspective of open resources, we must ensure that even regions without these resources can benefit from the development of AI," said Wang.