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Ant Group has officially launched operations at its new digital and cross-border trade centers in Guangzhou, marking a significant step in the Chinese fintech company’s efforts to expand digital trade infrastructure in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The move follows a strategic cooperation agreement signed last year between Ant Group and the Guangzhou municipal government. That agreement laid the groundwork for joint initiatives in digital finance, cross-border payments, and financial technology development.
At the core of the initiative is WorldFirst, the international payments subsidiary of Ant International. The company has established a cross-border trade operations center in Guangzhou aimed at improving services for Chinese exporters and small enterprises operating globally.
Speaking at the launch, Lai Zhihong, vice-mayor of Guangzhou, said the partnership would further efforts to strengthen the city’s fintech ecosystem and support broader cross-border trade ambitions. According to Ant International CEO Yang Peng, the dual-center project is positioned as a critical component of building a regional digital trade hub and supporting deeper integration within the Greater Bay Area.
Ant Group is also advancing its cross-border payment capabilities through Alipay+. In early April, the company upgraded interconnectivity between e-wallets across the Greater Bay Area. Users can now make seamless payments using Alipay in mainland China, AlipayHK in Hong Kong, and MPay in Macao across 11 cities.
In parallel, WorldFirst launched a new initiative at the China Import and Export Fair — commonly known as the Canton Fair — to support exporters expanding into overseas markets. WorldFirst has served more than one million micro-multinational enterprises to date, with cumulative transaction volumes surpassing $300 billion as of 2024.
The new Guangzhou centers reflect growing efforts by Ant Group and its affiliates to bolster China’s role in global trade through technology-driven infrastructure, particularly as the region continues to position itself as a hub for digital commerce and financial innovation.
