Mainland enterprises are now adopting increasingly comprehensive global business strategies, targeting trade with the world's most advanced economies, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aligned territories, and key emerging economies. This dynamic evolution is highlighted by new research from the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), which details the pivotal role Hong Kong plays in helping such businesses overcome challenges including shifting global trade policies, rising protectionism, and ongoing supply chain reconfigurations.
The HKTDC survey showed that 82% of globally-minded businesses have plans to expand their existing overseas operations, while 63% are focused on developing new overseas business activities. In addition, 54% plan to enhance overseas sourcing, 47% aim to expand overseas sales networks, and 36% intend to enhance overseas technology cooperation. Highlighting the upside for Hong Kong, Bruce Pang, Director of HKTDC Research, said: "With the overseas expansion strategies of Mainland enterprises now extending to supply chain integration, cross-border investment and higher value-added business activities, the need for highly professional support services has continued to grow. As the first-choice professional services hub for the majority of the surveyed enterprises, Hong Kong’s unique connectivity and unrivalled expertise have ensured it is playing an ever more significant role in helping Mainland business seize global opportunities."
Balancing advanced and emerging market opportunities, 94% of surveyed companies confirmed interest in developing business in BRI territories, a significant increase from 73% in 2023. Additionally, 91% are prioritising expanding existing ASEAN activities, particularly within Singapore (49%), Vietnam (46%), Thailand (44%), and Malaysia (41%). Looking further afield, 48% intend to target Europe’s advanced markets, while 47% plan to further develop engagement with the US and Canada. Interest in the Middle East rose from 33% in 2023 to 46% this year, and the proportion looking to expand into Latin America doubled from 17% to 34%.
Global expansion is fueled by evolving business environments. Mainland enterprises’ primary concerns include intensified competition from other regions (61%), geopolitical tensions (55%), rising Mainland costs (51%), and tariff and non-tariff trade barriers (50%). Against this backdrop, companies indicated they were looking to continuously improve production and service efficiency (60%), better manage risks in overseas markets (57%), and control overall production and sales costs (57%). Wing Chu, Deputy Director of HKTDC Research, said: "Most enterprises pursuing international expansion plan to develop two to three overseas business functions (61%), indicating their intention to extend along different stages of the global industrial and business value chain. During this process they face major challenges, including difficulty coping with rapidly changing market uncertainties, intense competition in overseas markets, and insufficient capital to adjust business operations and supply chains. These challenges underline the growing need for professional services support."
To help address these challenges, 83% of surveyed enterprises saw Hong Kong as their first choice of services platform, followed by the Chinese Mainland (78%) and Singapore (31%). The services sought from Hong Kong were broad and diverse, including marketing, legal and accounting advisory, financing and risk management, supply chain management, research and development, product standards, and ESG-related support. Hong Kong continues as the lead global expansion service platform for Mainland enterprises, thanks to its highly internationalised business environment, robust legal system, free flow of capital and information, extensive international business networks, and strong pool of professional talent.
The National 15th Five-Year Plan explicitly supports Hong Kong’s integration into national development and highlights leveraging the city’s professional services strengths to support Chinese Mainland enterprises in going global. In October 2025, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government launched the GoGlobal Task Force, integrating financial, business network, and government resources to provide more comprehensive support for enterprises expanding overseas.
Jointly organised by the Government of the HKSAR and the HKTDC, the Belt and Road Summit has long served as a premier platform for policy dialogue, business networking, and deal-making. The 11th edition will take place on 9-10 September at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre under the theme "Advancing High-Quality Development - Embarking on a New Journey." This year’s Summit will feature a dedicated "Go Global Chapter" with breakout sessions and a newly introduced "GoGlobal Connect" zone showcasing service offerings from various professional sectors. Additionally, a GoGlobal Business Mission to Nansha, Guangzhou, will offer first-hand insights into Greater Bay Area developments.
For more details, the full report is available at research.hktdc.com.
