Impressed by the rapid development of Longgang, Shenzhen during an April mission, the Chamber re-ran a visit to Longgang in July so that members could learn more about the development of the district. HKGCC was invited by Xie Xiaobiao, Executive Chairman of the Shenzhen Association of Trade in Services, to join the Modern Service Industry Seminar Longgang, Shenzhen hosted by the Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality and Longgang Government. As one of the co-organizers of the seminar, the Chamber organized a 26-member delegation to join the event on 18 July to further deepen the cooperation between HKGCC members and companies in Longgang. Petrina Tam, Chairman of China Committee, spoke at the seminar.

Since the masterplan to transform the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) into a global economic powerhouse was rolled out two years ago, a much-anticipated blueprint for the region was finally released by the Chinese government in February. Over the past two years, there has been an explosion of investor interest in the area. At a lunchtime seminar on 16 July, Reed Hatcher, Head of Research, and Queeny So, Executive Director, Capital Markets, China from Cushman & Wakefield spoke on the most exciting markets and asset classes to watch for in the real estate investment scene. In their presentations, the speakers covered some noteworthy opportunities brought on by the vibrant Tier-1 cities in the GBA including Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. They also shared some of their insights on property investment trends in the GBA, as well as the reasons behind the rising investment interest for properties, particularly in Shenzhen and Guangzhou, arising from the government blueprint.

Following an invitation from Zhaoqing Municipal Government Mayor Fan Zhongjie, China Committee Chairman Petrina Tam led a delegation to visit the city on 11-12 July. After a high-speed train trip, the visitors had the opportunity to explore the latest developments in Zhaoqing’s healthcare, environmental protection and leisure industries. During meetings with senior officials, delegates discussed the "Zhaoqing Hong Kong City" plan. The officials explained that Hong Kong-style hospitals, schools, health centres, hotels and shopping malls will be built in the city. The delegation also visited a number of tourism hotspots including Dinghu, the bamboo forest in Guangning County and Seven Star Crags.

Three expert speakers updated members on payment services in the Greater Bay Area at a Chamber luncheon roundtable on 30 May. Dick Ho, Deputy General Manager (Transformation & Digital Banking) at Bank of China (Hong Kong), shared how his bank had facilitated the development of cross-border payment solutions and enhanced the customer banking experience. Bosco Lin, Chief Commercial Officer of AlipayHK, spoke about the company’s extensive e-wallet service and shed light on the demands and expected benefits of cross-border services. Monita Leung, Head of Financial Services at HKT, shared how the company has tapped into the local market with its “Tap & Go” multi-currency mobile payment services, and its efforts to increase retail operation efficiency.