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Guangdong issued an inclusive finance plan with 17 tasks across six areas, offering comprehensive services. It debuts measures supporting agriculture, cross-border data verification, insurance for gig workers, and senior care investment.

Guangdong has maintained its status as China's largest economy for 37 years, serving as the core engine of the Greater Bay Area. The achievements of its 14th Five-Year Plan and the growth targets for the 15th Five-Year Plan provide essential momentum and a solid foundation for building a dynamic and internationally competitive first-class bay area.

At the Guangdong Provincial People's Political Consultative Conference, members focused on advising the Greater Bay Area's "soft connectivity," discussing ways to deepen pragmatic cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao through strengthened rule alignment and mechanism integration in legal, healthcare, and cultural sectors, providing robust momentum and solid support for high-quality regional development.

To accelerate market integration in the Greater Bay Area, Guangdong advances "soft connectivity" in legal rules, implementing 30 initiatives including "Hong Kong Capital, Hong Kong Law, Hong Kong Arbitration." This bridges global standards, reduces internal regulatory gaps, and has earned Guangdong the title of best business environment in China for four consecutive years, gaining market trust.

According to the Guangdong Sub-Administration of the General Administration of Customs, Guangdong's total foreign trade reached a historic high of 9.49 trillion yuan in 2025, up 4.4%, accounting for 20.9% of the national total. It has led China for 40 consecutive years, contributing 24.1% to the national growth. Exports rose 2.5% to 6.03 trillion yuan, while imports grew 7.8% to 3.46 trillion yuan.

Guangdong's 2026 special fund for the new-generation IT industry targets the electronics sector, strongly supporting Greater Bay Area manufacturing. This offers clear policy benefits for Hong Kong entrepreneurs returning to the region, enabling them to tap into digital economy opportunities and integrate into the innovation ecosystem through funding and industry collaboration.

In 2025, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge handled over RMB 325.8 billion in foreign trade, with its efficient logistics and improved connectivity providing vital support. This offers Hong Kong entrepreneurs a competitive edge in cross-border e-commerce, high-tech, and supply chain management in the Greater Bay Area.

The launch of Hong Kong's permanent Government Chinese Medicine Testing Centre marks a push for an internationally recognized standardization and research system, providing a premier platform for Hong Kong businesses in the Greater Bay Area to engage in R&D, testing, and global commercialization of traditional Chinese medicine.

With its substantial financial resources and steady credit growth, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area provides ample liquidity and continuously optimizes funding allocation towards tech innovation, green transition, and inclusive finance, creating an adaptable financing environment and strategic opportunities for Hong Kong businesses expanding in the region.

The 2026 Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme is now open year-round. Eligible companies with cross-border operations can hire Hong Kong graduates (bachelor's degree minimum salary: HKD 18,000) for mainland postings, receiving up to HKD 12,000/month in wage subsidies for up to 18 months, and can also hire an equal number of mainland youth for Hong Kong roles, fostering talent exchange.

On January 13, Hong Kong and the National Health Commission signed two major agreements to advance traditional Chinese medicine development and cancer prevention cooperation in the Greater Bay Area, aligning with Hong Kong's TCM development blueprint and deepening national collaboration in cancer control.

The Ministry of Commerce has issued the 2026 Catalog of Goods Subject to Export License Administration, covering 43 categories. Hong Kong businesses exporting these goods from the Greater Bay Area must comply with quota management (e.g., for agricultural products to Hong Kong and Macao) and procedures like the "single-use license" system, and may apply for licenses through authorized local commerce departments (e.g., in Guangzhou).

Hengqin Cooperation Zone’s new financial support policy offers Hong Kong businesses incentives for setting up operations, cross-border services, fintech, and office space, while encouraging Macao collaboration and support for innovative firms—a key opportunity to expand and benefit from financial innovation dividends.

In 2025, the nine mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area recorded a foreign trade volume of 9.15 trillion yuan, up 4.7% year-on-year, creating a broad platform. The region handles nearly half of the country's tablet computer exports and over 80% of 3D printer exports, with the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Port also seeing rapid growth in import-export value. This provides Hong Kong businesses with a mature trade ecosystem, logistics advantages, and significant market opportunities for entrepreneurship in the Greater Bay Area.

The "Funding Scheme for Promoting Industrial Development and Technological Innovation" will accept applications from January 1 to 21, 2026. It provides grants to Macau enterprises and institutions for tech innovation and industrial projects, supporting local industrial upgrading and integration into the Greater Bay Area.