On 30 October, Zhang Jinsong, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director-General of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, led a delegation to visit the Greater Bay Area Import & Export Association (GBAIEA). Accompanied by Cai Liyun, Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Representative Office of the Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province, the delegation inspected the Chamber’s work on-site, listened to its work report, and put forward guiding opinions on leveraging Hong Kong’s strengths as an international gateway and deepening trade and industrial cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

At the forum, Tam Yiu-chung, Honorary Advisor of the Chamber, delivered a welcome speech. He stated that as the first industrial and commercial association dedicated to integrating and advancing coordinated development of import and export industries across the “9+2” cities in the Greater Bay Area, the Chamber will continue to capitalise on Hong Kong’s dual-platform advantages, support import and export enterprises in exploring international markets, and help deepen and substantiate Guangdong-Hong Kong trade cooperation.

Subsequently, Cai Yi, Honorary President of the Chamber, presented the work report on its behalf. In recent years, the Chamber has continuously supported the Canton Fair, facilitated work for the 135th to 140th sessions, organised sourcing matching between Hong Kong buyers and Greater Bay Area exhibitors, and co-hosted the “Pearl River Night Talk” business negotiation events, which have generated procurement intentions worth hundreds of millions of yuan in total. The Chamber has also invited Hong Kong and overseas buyers to visit industrial clusters in Zhuhai, Jiangmen, Foshan and other cities. It has organised promotion fairs for Guangdong’s characteristic products, as well as roadshows for robotics and new energy industries in Hong Kong, enabling efficient connection between “Greater Bay Area Smart Manufacturing” and Hong Kong’s international distribution channels. Meanwhile, partnering with universities including Tsinghua University and Renmin University of China, the Chamber has released white papers and industry reports covering cross-border e-commerce and supply chain finance, providing research support for foreign trade enterprises expanding into global markets.

Cai Yi noted that moving forward, the Chamber will coordinate the launch of the Hong Kong node under the “Guangdong Goods Going Global” initiative, keep organising two-way Guangdong-Hong Kong trade promotion activities, establish regular industrial matching mechanisms, collaborate with cross-border e-commerce comprehensive pilot zones, and foster innovation benchmarks for digital trade. It will help more Greater Bay Area enterprises enter global markets jointly and build international brands.

Zhang Jinsong recognised the Chamber’s achievements and set out work requirements aligned with its core business. First, expand markets. Leverage the Chamber’s pool of international buyers and sellers to connect orders, sales channels and procurement demands with production bases, so that enterprises can both source buyers and fulfil orders. Second, strengthen competitive edges. Promote in-depth integration between manufacturing and artificial intelligence, and support “AI + cross-border e-commerce” to empower the whole chain of design, production and trade, raising the efficiency of brand internationalisation. Third, clarify development priorities. Focus on emerging sectors such as semiconductors, quantum technology and biotechnology manufacturing. Relying on the Hong Kong platform and engaging Hong Kong business communities and the global Chinese business network, the Chamber will assist in project matchmaking. Fourth, build bridges. Make full use of Hong Kong’s convenient international settlement services and deepen e-commerce collaboration, with international settlements processed in Hong Kong and product selection and procurement carried out in Guangdong, to boost the facilitation of cross-border trade.

This exchange further strengthened the working ties between the Chamber and the provincial Department of Commerce. It also charted a clear path for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao enterprises to secure orders, explore global markets and introduce high-quality resources. In accordance with the unified arrangements of the Department, the Chamber will continue to act as a bridge, coordinating buyer-seller matching, industrial linkage and cross-border e-commerce services. It will contribute to Guangdong’s high-level opening-up and drive high-quality integration of commerce and trade among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.