Greater Bay Area (GBA)
Joint Immersive Learning Initiative (JIL)

OVERVIEW

The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area) comprises the two Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and the nine municipalities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Zhaoqing in Guangdong Province.

The Greater Bay Area is being positioned at the forefront of Chinese development. The intended increased connectivity within the GBA, puts the region on track to become one of the world’s most economically influential city clusters.

Currently the GBA accounts for 6% of the country’s population, yet it is responsible for 11% of national GDP. As part of China’s overall development plans, the GBA aims to deepen the cooperation between its constituent parts to deliver high-quality growth via innovation and greater connectivity. The goal is for the GBA to become a bay area of global significance to rival the San Francisco Bay Area and the Tokyo Bay Area.

OBJECTIVE

The British Chamber of Commerce in Macao continues to foster closer ties with the other ten GBA cities through organising business and cultural immersion visits to the cities to develop a deeper socio-geographical understanding of each region and strong and lasting ties with the people and businesses in each city. The trips are a mixture of business and cultural interests, connecting Macau Britcham members and British Companies with Municipality Government agencies and local businesses.

The Greater Bay Area (GBA) Joint Immersive Learning initiative, organized by the Macau British Chamber of Commerce, focuses on two-day immersive business and cultural tour. These visits position Britcham Macao as the gateway for UK business wishing to develop a better understanding of the GBA and meaningful business connections with the municipalities within.

OUTCOMES

Develop a realistic and deeper understanding of the geographical location of the municipalities and the logistical connectivity to and within.
Appreciate the leisure and tourism opportunities presented.
Acquire practical expertise in the interoperability of payment tools across the borders, which includes e-wallets, e-CNY, etc.
Develop a deeper understanding of the policies and market forces of the municipalities that will contribute to the GBA community.
Understand the eligibility criteria of investors in Mainland China especially to the municipalities and identify the local facilitators to assist in achieving this.
Connect with and develop business relationships with local government, businesses and cultural establishment.
Connect with and develop business relationships with UK companies looking to establish an interest in the GBA.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR MACAU AND UK COMPANIES

The British Chamber of Commerce in Macau can provide targeted services for UK companies looking to take advantage of the opportunities offered in the GBA.

Regional Office:

The first and basic offering is a ‘Regional Office’ providing support services for UK companies as follows:

Physical Address & Tel No.

Mail management.

Dedicated phone line / Cantonese and Mandarin speakers answering the phone.

Tax filing and accounting services.

Company set up / Legal service.

Meeting venue for physical meetings.

Business Development Services:

Secondly, more comprehensive services to help businesses transition into the GBA:

Business Consultancy / Strategic Planning.

Introduction / travel to the 11 GBA areas.