The Sub-forum "The Dialogue on Technological Civilization and Co-Building Happiness" of the 2025 GSF held in Macao

The Sub-forum "The Dialogue on Technological Civilization and Co-Building Happiness" of the 2025 Greater Bay Area Science Forum was held in Macao on the afternoon of November 4. Authoritative experts and leading figures from the industry, academia, and research sectors conducted in-depth dialogues around the theme of "Digital-Intelligent Bay Area·Co-Building Happiness". They jointly explored how technology can empower urban happiness and how civilization can guide technological development, and put forward forward-looking and practical Chinese paths and global cooperation plans.

This dialogue was hosted by Mr. Li Mingxing, who serves as a Council Member of the China Economic and Social Council, Honorary President of the China United Nations Procurement Promotion Association, Council Member of the World Trade Centers Association, and President of the Asia-Pacific World Trade Business Alliance. The guest speakers included Mr. Wang Jian–Legislative Expert of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Director of the Expert Committee of the APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance, and Member of the Expert Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China; Mr. Li Chaochen–Former President of the China Intelligent Transportation Association, Former Director-General of the General Office of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Former Director-General of the Department of Policies and Regulations of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Former Minister-Counselor for Science and Technology at the Chinese Embassies in the United States and the United Kingdom; Mr. Oleg Zolotokrylin–Special Representative of St. Petersburg State University of Economics (Russia) in China and ASEAN Countries; Mr. Cao Bairui–Outstanding Enterprise Representative and Chairman of Zhaoqian Group; and Mr. Gao Yu – Postdoctoral Fellow in Global Energy Governance at the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University.

Li Mingxing, Council Member of the China Economic and Social Council & Honorary President of the China United Nations Procurement Promotion Association, Council Member of the World Trade Centers Association & President of the Asia-Pacific World Trade Business Alliance. [Photo/WeChat account: GSFofficial]

When hosting the forum dialogue, Mr. Li Mingxing pointed out that this dialogue is based in the Greater Bay Area and oriented towards the world. It centers on the topics of "jointly discussing the new mission of science and technology, jointly depicting the new future of the Bay Area, and jointly composing a new chapter of happiness". It aims to create a discourse platform for "Digital and Intelligent Bay Area·Jointly Building Happiness" that gathers interdisciplinary, cross-industry, and cross-cultural forces, in a direction that forms replicable scenario samples in the Greater Bay Area and extends to the "Belt and Road" initiative. This platform will help the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area lead the construction of a modern industrial system through scientific and technological innovation, and strive to build the Greater Bay Area into a global ideological source and practical highland for the joint construction of technological civilization and happiness, thereby injecting replicable and promotable Chinese solutions into the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and a new future of happiness for human cities.

Wang Jian, Legislative Expert of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Director of the Expert Committee of the APEC E-Commerce Business Alliance, Member of the Expert Advisory Committee of the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China. [Photo/WeChat account: GSFofficial]

During the forum, Mr. Wang Jian proposed a core framework of "values define the direction, the rule of law lays the track, and the market drives the development". He advocated evaluating "efficiency, fairness, resilience, and green development" as an integrated "general ledger". At the same time, he pointed out that scientific and technological development should adhere to the three priority principles of "integrity, people's livelihood, and rules". He suggested realizing the strategic transformation from value guidance to technological co-creation through a four-stage "co-creation assembly line" of "setting topics, creating platforms, forming sets of solutions, and promoting dissemination". He also advocated adopting a "large platform + small entry point" strategy, relying on platforms such as the "International Center for the Integration of Science, Technology and Industry" to transform Chinese solutions into public goods that the world "can understand, is willing to use, and can afford". These solutions will serve as important carriers for Chinese solutions to go global, ultimately enabling technology to meet people's needs, allowing civilization to accommodate differences, and using technology for good to contribute to the joint construction of a happy future for mankind.

Li Chaochen, Former President of the China Intelligent Transportation Association, Former Director-General of the General Office of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Former Director-General of the Department of Policies and Regulations of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Former Minister-Counselor for Science and Technology at the Chinese Embassies in the United States and the United Kingdom. [Photo/WeChat account: GSFofficial]

In the forum, Mr. Li Chaochen pointed out that the development of intelligent transportation should take technology for good as the core and people-oriented as the orientation. It should adhere to the fundamental principle of "goodness" and the boundary of "order", and focus on the comprehensive values of safety, efficiency, green development, and resilience. Chinese practical samples should be formed through standardization-led development, pilot promotion, and scenario-based implementation. Relying on the unique advantages of the Greater Bay Area, a global cooperation "test platform" should be built to deepen practical cooperation with the international community. This will transform technological innovation into tangible people's livelihood happiness, empower the construction of a modern industrial system in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and promote Chinese intelligent transportation solutions to the world.

Oleg Zolotokrylin, Special Representative of St. Petersburg State University of Economics (Russia) in China and ASEAN Countries. [Photo/WeChat account: GSFofficial]

Mr. Oleg Zolotokrylin stated in the forum that the core of technological civilization is "goodness with boundaries", and scientific and technological development should adhere to the three value orientations of "people-oriented, order, and for good". As a cultural and educational worker, he agreed with the initiatives proposed by Ms. Cui Yiting, including the establishment of joint laboratories, joint construction of urban scenarios, dual mentorship for young scholars, and cross-border supervision. He believed that only when rules and technology advance in parallel can speed and warmth be delivered simultaneously. He expressed the hope of promoting cooperation between China and Russia in this field, helping the concept of "technological civilization and joint construction of happiness" to go global, jointly promoting the improvement of urban happiness indexes, and creating a better future together.

CaoBarry, Outstanding Enterprise Representative & Chairman of Zhaoqian Group. [Photo/WeChat account: GSFofficial]

Mr. CaoBarry pointed out in the forum that the core of technology is to serve people, and "technology for good" needs to be implemented in the daily operations of enterprises and cities. The standards for this should be that it is beneficial to people, can be supported by organizations, and its achievements are replicable. By incorporating happiness indicators into KPIs, embedding rules into processes, and integrating culture into actions, a stable delivery of value guidance can be achieved through the three-stage "people-event-system" model. For international cooperation, carriers such as the "Happiness Now" public welfare courses initiated by the ANSO International Alliance of Science and Technology Enterprises, the "Strategic Consulting Report on Happiness Governance in Digital and Intelligent Cities", and the "Silk Road International Happiness Week" can be used. Through methods such as co-creating on the same theme, advancing with the same model, and sharing happiness together, technology and human minds can work in synergy to build a Bay Area model driven by the dual engines of "human minds + technology". This will inject lasting impetus into the new high-quality development and global cooperation of the Bay Area.

Postdoctoral Fellow in Global Energy Governance at the School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University. [Photo/WeChat account: GSFofficial]

In the forum, Mr. Gao Yu pointed out that the core of "technology for good" is to be rooted in people's daily lives, with the criterion of enabling ordinary people to feel convenience, trust, and lasting happiness. In the field of China-Russia energy governance, cooperation can be upgraded from "competing with resources" to "competing with rules + competing with computing power" through methods such as AI-based carbon footprint accounting, intelligent contract-enabled bulk trade, and green finance integration. Sustainable international cooperation featuring "same theme, same model, and shared interests" can be realized through joint laboratories, allowing happiness to take root and transforming technology from a grand narrative into a daily experience. This will provide support for the cultivation of new-quality productive forces and help technology better serve people and empower global cooperation.

Under the theme of "Digital-Intelligent Bay Area · Co-Building Happiness", this dialogue has established a complete framework from value concepts to practical paths. Based in the Greater Bay Area and facing the globe, it takes technology as a bridge, civilization as the soul, and happiness as the goal. It has built an open cross-field cooperation mechanism, promoted the integration of scientific and technological innovation and humanistic spirit, and created a global ideological source and practical highland for "technological civilization and joint construction of happiness". In the future, it will deepen international coordination, continue to gather global wisdom, promote cross-boundary cooperation, and build an open innovation ecosystem. This will ensure that innovation achievements benefit people of all countries and jointly depict a new blueprint for the happiness of human cities.