Huo Qishan, a standing committee member of the Guangdong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), suggested at the CPPCC meeting to fully leverage the legacy of last year’s 15th National Games of China and have Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao jointly bid to host the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup.
According to comprehensive reports from China News Service and Southern Finance News, the Fourth Session of the 13th Guangdong Provincial Committee of the CPPCC opened in Guangzhou on Sunday (January 25). At the meeting, Huo Qishan focused on the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, proposing to capitalize on the cooperative benefits from the National Games by having the three regions jointly bid for the Asian Cup, to promote the construction of a Sports Bay Area, further integrate the Greater Bay Area, and enhance its international influence.
The 15th National Games were held across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao last November. Huo Qishan stated that the 15th National Games not only left the Greater Bay Area with a number of world-class modern sports venues, but more importantly, established a well-tested, highly efficient cross-regional event coordination mechanism through actual practice. This forms the strongest foundation for the joint Asian Cup bid.
Huo Qishan noted that co-hosting international events across multiple regions is now a trend, citing the 2007 AFC Asian Cup jointly hosted by four Southeast Asian countries and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico as examples, which provide valuable reference for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao to host international events together.
Huo Qishan noted that co-hosting international events across multiple regions is now a trend, citing the 2007 AFC Asian Cup jointly hosted by four Southeast Asian countries and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico as examples, which provide valuable reference for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao to host international events together.
In outlining the unique advantages of a Greater Bay Area joint bid, he said that the "unified coordination, divided responsibility" model formed during the 15th National Games, as well as innovative policies such as the "green channel for event materials" and "seamless customs clearance," can be directly applied to the Asian Cup, greatly enhancing the efficiency of bidding and hosting. Multiple high-standard venues distributed across Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Hong Kong, and other places provide ready, high-quality sites for hosting top-tier events. The Greater Bay Area’s deep-rooted football culture, a large fan market, and the extensive event organization experience accumulated in both Guangdong and Hong Kong together constitute a strong comprehensive strength.
Huo Qishan proposed that the core of the bid plan should highlight the efficient use of the National Games legacy, demonstrate the Greater Bay Area’s excellent planning and execution capabilities to the AFC, and include a long-term legacy plan featuring youth training cooperation and community football to showcase the region’s sustainable development capabilities.
He also suggested uniting the strength of the three regions to formulate a targeted international publicity plan, using Hong Kong’s role as an international hub to attract global sponsorship and build an integrated "event + culture & tourism + consumption" industrial ecosystem.
Huo Qishan proposed that the core of the bid plan should highlight the efficient use of the National Games legacy, demonstrate the Greater Bay Area’s excellent planning and execution capabilities to the AFC, and include a long-term legacy plan featuring youth training cooperation and community football to showcase the region’s sustainable development capabilities.
He also suggested uniting the strength of the three regions to formulate a targeted international publicity plan, using Hong Kong’s role as an international hub to attract global sponsorship and build an integrated "event + culture & tourism + consumption" industrial ecosystem.