GBA Briefs

Hong Kong

WestK brings city's art and cultural glamour to Shanghai

The ongoing WestK Shanghai Week 2025 that kicked off in Shanghai on Wednesday sees the West Kowloon Cultural District marking a milestone in its effort to expand Hong Kong's unique art and cultural offerings outside the city, and fostering new collaborations with Shanghai.

Running through Sunday and themed "Hong Kong and Shanghai: Connections through Arts and Culture", the celebration presents seven major arts and cultural programs from Hong Kong's WestK in collaboration with six renowned cultural institutions and venues in Shanghai. Among the highlights are exhibitions curated by M+ and the Hong Kong Palace Museum, and the original Cantonese musical The Impossible Trial, alongside an array of performances and exchange activities.

Macao

Iris immigration scanning available for HK residents

Permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have been able to use iris recognition since June 11 to pass through Macao's automated immigration gates after registering on-site.

Travelers aged 18 or above who have registered for Macao's automated boundary clearance service can register their iris biometric information when using the "iris automated channels" equipped with such registration function. The process generally takes about 25 seconds.

Children aged 11 to 17 can proceed to designated checkpoints at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Outer Harbour Ferry, Taipa Ferry and Macao International Airport to complete registration.

Guangzhou

Port sees growth in cargo, container throughput

Guangzhou Port Group reported a 3.6 percent increase in cargo throughput and a 7.7 percent growth in container throughput year-on-year in the first five months of 2025.

The port operates 223 shipping routes, including 178 foreign trade lines, 153 of which are connected to economies engaged in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Shenzhen

Reform and opening-up to be boosted with barriers removed

Under a guideline released by the central government on June 10, Shenzhen's reform and opening-up will be strengthened, with institutional barriers lifted, resource integration deepened, and collaboration beefed up within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, making the boomtown a more modernized, internationalized and innovative city.

The plan calls for reforming the education and technology talents system; utilizing finance, technology and data to promote the development of a real economy; making the city more open to foreign trade; improving the quality of law governance; and rendering the organization system more efficient.

Zhuhai

Support for SMEs to deal with foreign exchange risks launched

The Zhuhai municipal bureau of commerce and the Zhuhai branch of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange will support small and medium-sized enterprises to overcome exchange rate fluctuations, according to a guideline announced on June 9. Each company could receive a maximum risk margin amount of 1 million yuan ($139,098) when handling forward foreign exchange settlement and sales, as well as swap businesses involving renminbi. The policy is valid through Dec 31.

Foshan

Japanese firms see good business potential in city

About 70 representatives from 41 Japanese enterprises, including Fortune Global 500 firms and industry leaders, visited Foshan for investment exchanges on June 13.

The delegation visited the headquarters of Midea Group, Dongli Film Technology (Foshan) and other enterprises to learn more about the local business environment and the operations of Japanese-funded companies.

Foshan has become a popular destination for Japanese investment in China because of its strong manufacturing base, comprehensive industrial chain, open and inclusive culture, and efficient government services. So far, there have been 254 Japanese-funded enterprises in the city with a total registered capital of $2.39 billion.

Huizhou

Construction of new nuclear power plant gets underway

Construction of Unit 3 of the China General Nuclear Power Group's Taiping mountain nuclear power plant in Guangdong province began on June 10.

On completion, the Huizhou Taiping mountain nuclear power base is expected to generate 53 billion kilowatt hours of clean energy annually, creating a green output value of more than 20 billion yuan, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 43 million metric tons per year.

Dongguan

New river-crossing link to start operation in 2027

Construction work has begun on the submerged section of Dongguan's Hongfu Xilu-Yinlong Lu river-crossing tunnel - the city's first immersed tube tunnel project.

The 1.87-kilometer crossing features a 1.5-km tunnel section and a 210-meter immersed tube passage of three prefabricated segments.

After completion in 2027, the link will serve as a major urban artery connecting Dongguan's Wanjiang and Nancheng communities. The link will also enable direct connectivity between the city's central business district and Wanjiang's scientific and technological innovation zone, boosting industrial integration.

Zhongshan

Tourism charm showcased at intl expo to attract travelers

Zhongshan gathered 22 cultural and tourism enterprises to join the 39th Hong Kong International Travel Expo, displaying the city's cultural and tourism resources to international tourists.

The Zhongshan booth presented the city's cultural and tourism charm through intangible cultural heritage displays, new products and characteristic interactions.

The expo is an important window for Zhongshan to connect with the global market. The Zhongshan authorities said they'll continue to optimize culture and tourism, strengthen cooperation with Hong Kong and the global tourism industry, and strive to make Zhongshan a preferred leisure destination in the Greater Bay Area.

Jiangmen

City's first departure tax refund service launched

Jiangmen's first departure tax refund store clinched its inaugural deal with a Hong Kong tourist on June 12, marking a key development in the city's bid to promote tourism and boost the economy.

Jiangmen's tax authorities will publicize tax refund procedures through hotels and new media platforms, encouraging overseas tourists to spend in the city, and attracting qualified retailers to apply for departure tax refunds.

Zhaoqing

New highway set to drive greater regional integration

The completion of construction work on Luoshu Bridge has brought the 120.5-kilometer Zhaoqing-Gaoming highway a step closer.

Designed to serve as one of Zhaoqing's strategic corridors for greater regional integration, the highway will connect Zhaoqing with Foshan's Gaoming district.

Upon completion, trips between Zhao-qing's northern outlying areas and the city's downtown area will be cut by 30 kilometers, while trips between Zhaoqing's downtown and Pearl River Delta International Airport, now under construction in Gaoming, will be shortened to 20 minutes.