Photo: Nanfang Plus
The British Chamber of Commerce South China held the Go Global Forum on May 15 in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, bringing together government officials, business leaders, and professional services firms to explore cross-border trade and investment links between China, the UK, and Portuguese-speaking markets.
Supported by the UK Department for Business and Trade and the British Consulate-General in Guangzhou, the forum focused on Hengqin's role as a strategic hub connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with the UK and Portuguese-speaking economies, including Brazil and Portugal. The event brought together more than 100 corporate executives, representatives from professional services firms, and business leaders from China and the UK.
Multiple speakers at the forum highlighted that Hengqin, working in tandem with Macao, offers a policy-backed platform for Chinese companies expanding overseas, particularly through tax incentives, regulatory facilitation, and financial services support. Discussions also covered UK market entry pathways, opportunities in Portuguese-speaking countries, and the importance of professional services in enabling international expansion.
Photo: Nanfang Plus
Mark Clayton, the chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce South China, drew on his long-term business experience in Guangdong, urging deeper two-way investment flows. He said UK firms bring strengths in legal, tax, compliance, and governance services that can support Chinese companies entering global markets, while also encouraging Chinese enterprises to scale internationally through trusted partnerships.
At the event, companies including Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Group (Macao) International Development Industry Co., Ltd., KPMG China, and Honor shared their experiences in advancing international expansion through Hengqin and Macao as strategic footholds, covering areas such as the overseas development of traditional Chinese medicine, the use of tax policy incentives, and global supply chain cooperation.
According to Mark Clayton, China's overseas mergers and acquisitions reached a five-year high in the first quarter of this year but remained well below the 2016 peak, leaving significant room for further growth.
He added that UK professional services capabilities are highly complementary to the overseas expansion needs of Chinese companies, and the chamber hopes to work with more UK and Chinese professional institutions to support Greater Bay Area firms in pursuing higher-quality and more sustainable international expansion, including into the UK, Portuguese-speaking countries, and broader global markets.
Reporter: Zeng Xiangxing
