Standard Chartered supports the Greater Bay Area Summit Forum where the Chief Executive delivered a welcome speech, encouraging SMEs to accelerate their 'going global' strategy to seize new cross-border development opportunities.
July 14, 2026, the "Greater Bay Area Global Business Expansion Summit Forum", fully sponsored by Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) and hosted by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), was grandly inaugurated in Hong Kong today. This forum focuses on helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within the Greater Bay Area, with Hong Kong at its core, to address cross-border challenges and seize opportunities for expansion in the Greater Bay Area and globally. It provides in-depth analysis of global economic outlook, digital empowerment for cross-border strategies, resource building, and successful case studies of multinational expansion, offering practical insights and a communication platform for companies intending to expand their global business.
The event invited Mr. John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, to officiate and deliver the opening speech. He jointly presided over the opening ceremony with Ms. Mary Huen, CEO of Standard Chartered Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia, and Mr. Hui Tao, Executive Chairman of Television Broadcasts Limited.
The summit featured a lively exchange atmosphere, attracting approximately 300 business leaders and corporate representatives. Eighty percent of the attendees were founders or top management (CEO level) of companies from the Greater Bay Area, with half of them being medium-sized enterprises with strong demand for multinational expansion. Furthermore, at least twenty percent of the participating enterprises are deeply engaged in the e-commerce sector, which has seen strong global momentum in recent years, reflecting the urgent need for global expansion among the core business community of the entire Greater Bay Area.
In his speech, Chief Executive John Lee emphasized: "Last year, we established the 'Cross-boundary Business Expansion Task Force for Mainland Enterprises' as a one-stop platform to provide tailor-made support services for mainland enterprises going global. The task force has already organized over a dozen events in Hong Kong and mainland provinces and cities, introducing Hong Kong's advantages to mainland enterprises. It has also assisted more than 200 mainland enterprises in setting up or expanding their business in Hong Kong, helping them use Hong Kong as the first stop for their global journey."
In her welcome speech, Ms. Mary Huen, CEO of Standard Chartered Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia, stated: "The global economy is changing rapidly, with global supply chains accelerating their reshaping, and the competitive landscape for enterprises is also transforming accordingly. As a key partner for SMEs, Standard Chartered has been assisting clients in seizing new opportunities. Last year alone, we organized more than 25 upgrade and transformation events for 4,500 clients, with over half focusing on supporting enterprises in actively deploying 'going global' strategies. Leveraging our unique network covering three-quarters of the 'Belt and Road' markets and all ten ASEAN member states, as well as our expertise in cross-border finance and offshore RMB services, we are committed to providing SMEs with one-stop support from opportunity discovery to establishment and development, helping clients capture global growth."
The subsequent opening forum, themed "Global Vision and New Opportunities for Business Expansion," specially invited Mr. Fred Ma, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council; Ms. Julia Leung, Assistant Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority; Mr. Chan Cho-hang, Chairman of the Hong Kong Productivity Council; and Mr. Hu Dong'an, Senior Economist for Greater China & North Asia at Standard Chartered, to provide forward-looking macroeconomic commentary for the guests on site.
Guests also offered different perspectives on practical pain points faced by SMEs in the Greater Bay Area (including Hong Kong) during multinational expansion, such as complex cross-border regulatory and compliance requirements and insufficient understanding of target markets. They believed that corporate management models must be innovated simultaneously, enhancing internal control and risk resilience through digital transformation, and leveraging Hong Kong's unique advantages as a "super-connector" and emerging cross-border service platforms to explore global markets.
Following the opening forum focused on the macroeconomy, three summit forums conducted thematic discussions around "Digital Acceleration for Business Diversification and Market Expansion," "Building Key Resources Required for Overseas Expansion," and "Sharing Successful Cases of Clients' Overseas Market Expansion."
Hong Kong's SMEs are a vital pillar of the local economy. According to the latest statistics from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, as of March 2026, there were approximately 360,000 SMEs in Hong Kong, accounting for over 98% of all enterprises in Hong Kong and providing a large number of employment opportunities for society. In the current environment of changing global trade patterns and accelerating regional economic integration, SMEs urgently need comprehensive assistance from banks and professional institutions in financing support, market insights, and foreign exchange risk management. Standard Chartered Bank stated that it will continue to work with Hong Kong enterprises to move forward steadily in the global environment through the "GBA One" one-stop cross-border service and global local teams, achieving a win-win situation of business internationalization and wealth growth.
Ms. Mary Huen, CEO of Standard Chartered Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia, delivering the welcome speech.
Mr. John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (center), Ms. Mary Huen, CEO of Standard Chartered Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia (right), and Mr. Hui Tao, Executive Chairman of Television Broadcasts Limited (left), presiding over the opening ceremony.
Group photo of Mr. John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (fifth from right), Ms. Mary Huen, CEO of Standard Chartered Hong Kong and Greater China & North Asia (fourth from right), Mr. Hui Tao, Executive Chairman of Television Broadcasts Limited (fourth from left), and forum speakers: Mr. Fred Ma, Chairman of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (third from left); Ms. Julia Leung, Assistant Chief Executive (Banking Supervision) of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (third from right); Mr. Chan Cho-hang, Chairman of the Hong Kong Productivity Council (second from left); Mr. Xiao Shihe, General Manager (Business Operations) of Television Broadcasts Limited (first from left); Ms. Xie Wen, Global Head of SME Banking at Standard Chartered Bank (second from right); and Mr. Su Weitang, Head of SME Banking, Hong Kong & Greater Bay Area and Head of Greater Bay Area Business at Standard Chartered (first from right).
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