2025 GBA Conference concludes successfully: Empowering the accounting profession to support enterprises going global

The "2025 GBA Conference", jointly organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) and the Hong Kong Association of Registered Public Interest Entity Auditors Limited (PIEAA), and supported by the Guangdong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (GDICPA) and the Union of Associations of Professional Accountants of Macau (UAPAM), was successfully held on 22 September in Hong Kong. Under the theme "Converging accounting expertise in the GBA to empower businesses to navigate the uncharted waters", elites from the accounting profession and business leaders from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges on hot topics, including the geopolitical and economic landscape, overseas investment strategy and deployment, and the roles of the accounting profession in serving the "going global and attracting foreign investment" strategy. The conference was an exceptional event, attracting over 250 guests and accounting professionals.

To capitalize on the geographical proximity, cultural affinity, and shared language among Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, and to deepen the integration of the accounting profession across the three regions while promoting high-quality development of accounting services, the GDICPA lead the signing of the "Strategic Agreement for Developing Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Accounting Industry (2024)" (The Agreement) in December last year. The agreement was jointly signed with the HKICPA, PIEAA and UAPAM, and outlines comprehensive collaborations in areas such as information dissemination, business collaboration, talent cultivation, promotional synergies and innovation exchange. The GBA Conference is one of the flagship activities under this agreement. Rotating among the three regions, the forum aims to build a professional platform for regional collaboration, foster practical cooperation, and collectively enhance the influence of the accounting sector within the GBA.

Converging Professional Strength, Empowering Global Ambitions

In response to the growing trend of Mainland enterprises "going global," the accounting profession in the GBA is actively embracing this opportunity by leveraging its internationalization, specialization, and cross-regional capabilities. At the forum, representatives from the three regions jointly announced the establishment of the "Alliance of CPA Firms Dedicated to Financial and Tax Guidance for Businesses’ Global Expansion" (the Alliance). To date, 123 firms from across the three regions have joined the Alliance, which aims to harness the advantages of the GBA to provide robust support for outbound enterprises. The launching ceremony was hosted by the heads of the four initiating bodies: Edward Au, President of HKICPA; Clement Chan, Chairman of PIEAA; Mu Huishu, Vice President and Secretary-General of GDICPA; and Vong Hou Piu, President of UAPAM, alongside representatives from relevant government departments of the three regions. With the concerted efforts of the three regions, the Alliance is expected to continue expanding and empowering more enterprises going global.

In his speech, Edward Au, President of HKICPA, remarked: " Professional services are critical to the success of businesses going global, among which accounting services play a key role. As we mention in the conference's theme, ‘Converging Accounting Expertise in the GBA to Empower Businesses to Navigate the Uncharted Waters ', we aim to consolidate the professional expertise and resources of the GBA accounting sector to help enterprises navigate the complex geopolitical and economic environment steadily and seize development opportunities."

Clement Chan, Chairman of PIEAA, said: " In this era of an increasingly interconnected global economy, expanding overseas has become an imperative for many businesses. The Greater Bay Area, as a pivotal component of the national development strategy, offers tremendous opportunities for enterprises. The essence of ‘converging accounting expertise in the GBA’ lies in synergy, while the heart of ‘empowering businesses to navigate the uncharted waters’ is trust. The deep integration of the Greater Bay Area's regional strengths with the accounting profession's support generates a powerful collective force for global expansion."

The conference commenced with a keynote speech delivered by Dr. Bernard Chan, the Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of the HKSAR government. This was followed by insightful presentations from, Barry Chan, Managing Director, Head of Investment Banking Hong Kong, Head of Asia-Australia Region, CICCI, CICC, and Dr. Murphy Li, Managing Director of Yonyou Hong Kong. Their presentations provided participants with deeper insights into global asset deployment, industry investment and the challenges Yonyou faced in serving enterprises going global.

During the panel discussion, moderator Roy Lo, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of PIEAA and Managing Partner of SW Hong Kong, led a conversation with Steve Ng, Partner and Head of Audit, Grant Thornton Hong Kong, Conrad Chan, Deloitte China Private Equity Industry Leader, William Huang, Chief Supervisor of GDICPA and Managing Partner of EY China South, and Bernard Li, Director of UAPAM and PwC Macau Office Leader. The panel explored the diverse roles accounting services play in supporting enterprises going global, sharing valuable experience through real-world cases.

To close the forum, Jasmine Lee, Vice President of HKICPA and Council Member of PIEAA, delivered the closing remarks. She expressed gratitude to the governments, professional accounting bodies, sponsoring organizations, speakers, and fellow accountants from the three regions for their support, stating: "Today, we welcomed over 250 accounting professionals from across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area. This gathering reflects the close solidarity and deep camaraderie among regional peers. Through this forum, we’ve built mutual trust and consolidate strength to tackle challenges together. We sincerely hope this conference becomes a lasting platform for exchange, where diverse ideas converge, meaningful connections are forged, and new business opportunities are seized. We look forward to building on this starting point to transform the wisdom and consensus from this event into the momentum that drives future action."

^{Photo 1: Clement Chan, Chairman of PIEAA (4th from left); Edward Au, President of HKICPA (3rd from left); Mu Huishu, Vice President and Secretary-General of GDICPA (2nd from left); and Vong Hou Piu, President of UAPAM (1st from left), alongside representatives from relevant government departments of the three regions, jointly announced the establishment of the "Alliance of CPA Firms Dedicated to Financial and Tax Guidance for Businesses’ Global Expansion".} 

^{Photo 2: In his speech, Edward Au, President of HKICPA, remarked: " Professional services are critical to the success of businesses going global, among which accounting services play a key role. As we mention in the conference's theme, ‘Converging Accounting Expertise in the GBA to Empower Businesses to Navigate the Uncharted Waters ', we aim to consolidate the professional expertise and resources of the GBA accounting sector to help enterprises navigate the complex geopolitical and economic environment steadily and seize development opportunities."}

^{Photo 3: The panel explored the diverse roles accounting services play in supporting enterprises going global, sharing valuable experience through real-world cases.}

^{Photo 4 & 5: The conference was an exceptional event, attracting over 250 guests and accounting professionals.}