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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.

The Greater Bay Area achieved remarkable success during the 14th Five-Year Plan, with its economy expected to exceed 15 trillion yuan in 2025. In finance, "soft connectivity" stands out: 198 government services are cross-border accessible, and the Wealth Management Connect has attracted 175,000 investors with 129.2 billion yuan in fund flows, significantly boosting financial market integration across the region.

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.

Over five years of mutual reinforcement between industry and technology, Guangdong has not only led regional innovation for nine consecutive years but also strived to build a globally influential industrial sci-tech innovation center. As a core engine, it strengthens corporate innovation, builds international platforms, and tackles key technologies, driving the Greater Bay Area to accelerate the development of new productive forces and world-class innovation hubs.

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.

The Guangdong government released "Several Policies to Promote High-quality Transport Development via AI," aiming to transform the Greater Bay Area's transport system with AI. The policy enhances data and computing power supply, accelerates AI applications in roads, rail, ports, and low-altitude economy, boosting integrated smart connectivity and efficiency across the region.

By 2025, Guangdong's digital industry revenue exceeded 8 trillion yuan, maintaining its national lead. During the 14th Five-Year Plan, software revenue jumped from 1.36 to over 2.5 trillion yuan, HarmonyOS native devices surpassed 36 million, and over 132 provincial-level smart factories were certified. The province built the world's largest 5G network with 443,000 base stations.

To promote innovation in the high-end medical device sector, the NMPA has issued the "Priority Approval Catalog for High-end Medical Devices (2025 Edition)". This will expedite product registration and market entry, supporting the Greater Bay Area's biopharma industry in seizing technological leadership and achieving high-quality development.

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.