At a policy briefing salon held for foreign investors on February 4, Guangdong's capital city, Guangzhou, introduced a host of preferential policies concerning taxation and visas, extending a warm invitation to global enterprises to invest in the city.
At the salon held in Guangzhou on Feb. 2
The salon marked one of the inaugural serial events of the APEC 2026 "China Year," which was kicked off on February 1 in the city to set the stage for the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting scheduled for November 2026 in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
Aiming to extend the benefits of deepened regional cooperation brought by the APEC meetings to the world, the salon encourages businesses worldwide to seize the momentum of APEC and embark on a new journey of investment in the region.
At the event, officials from relevant provincial and municipal departments detailed newly introduced policies designed to benefit foreign-invested enterprises. Key incentives include tax exemptions on imported equipment for encouraged foreign-funded projects.
Additionally, foreign investors are encouraged to reinvest their profits locally; those who do can enjoy corresponding tax deductions or exemptions.
Visa facilitation measures were also highlighted, such as exemptions from re-applying for work-related residence permits for expatriates transferring within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under certain conditions and relaxed requirements for obtaining port visas.
Supporting policies were further emphasized, including rewards for foreign investment, incentives for upgrading multinationals' regional headquarters, and bonuses for establishing foreign-funded R&D centers in Guangdong.
Guangdong has long been a favored destination for foreign capital. Take the capital city of Guangzhou as an example: currently, approximately 60,000 foreign-invested enterprises operate in the city, including 368 Fortune Global 500 companies.
In 2025, Guangzhou's actual utilized foreign investment reached 25.19 billion yuan, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 9.1%. Foreign-invested firms in Guangzhou contribute nearly 20% of the revenue in the service sector above the designated scale, 30% of the total import and export value, and 40% of the value added of large-scale industries.
Business consular officials from APEC economies, representatives of business associations and chambers of commerce (including Singapore's Consul-General in Guangzhou and the Korea Community Guangzhou), as well as senior representatives of foreign-invested enterprises such as EY, attended the salon.
Reporter | Huang Xinyi
Photo | Huang Xinyi
Intern Jin Zi also contributed to the story.
