Skip to main content
bayhub.hk
Industry Guides

Mainland companies going global (via Hong Kong) · Master guide

The master playbook for a mainland company's first year of going global via Hong Kong: get the structure right → set up or re-domicile a Hong Kong entity → open up offshore RMB and cross-border funding → set the seat of arbitration in Hong Kong in your contracts → use Hong Kong as a springboard for market expansion (reimbursable under BUD) → land and connect (InvestHK / Qianhai and Hetao). This is the master guide, giving the doors and the order; the tech / trade / consumer / professional-services / finance volumes below drill into it scenario by scenario.

This fits you if

You are the owner or operator of a mainland company and want to use Hong Kong to connect your business to markets, capital, or rules beyond the mainland — going global, raising capital, cross-border settlement, making contracts enforceable.

This is not for you if

You only do purely mainland business with no foreign exchange / cross-border / going-global element — a Shenzhen company or a local entity is enough; you may not need Hong Kong.

Key figures
Structure
The company re-domiciliation regime took effect 2025-05 — a non-Hong Kong company can move to Hong Kong in its entirety while keeping its legal identity[S22]
Funding
Over 70% of global offshore RMB payments go through Hong Kong; deposit pool ≈RMB 1.1T

end-2025[S13]

Rules
Hong Kong arbitration can apply to mainland courts for interim asset preservation

the only jurisdiction outside the mainland that can[S21]

Get the structure right → set up / re-domicile a Hong Kong entity → open up offshore RMB funding → set the seat of arbitration in Hong Kong in contracts → springboard for market expansion (BUD) → land and connect
How to apply
  1. 1

    Get the structure right: holding company or re-domiciliation

    First settle the role of the Hong Kong entity: a new Hong Kong holding company (with mainland operations as a WFOE / subsidiary), or re-domiciling a non-Hong Kong entity to Hong Kong in its entirety (possible from 2025-05). The key is to work out how funds move compliantly and how ODI / FDI is filed.

    Pitfall: Throwing together a structure to save trouble, then getting stuck on fund flows, tax, and filings later.

    See:Shenzhen company vs Hong Kong company: how to choose, how to run both

  2. 2

    Set up / re-domicile the Hong Kong entity + open an account

    Where to go: the Companies Registry (set up / re-domicile) + a bank (open a corporate account). Setup takes 1–7 days; account-opening takes 2 weeks to 3 months and rejections are common, so prepare both in parallel as early as possible.

    Pitfall: A purely virtual address and incomplete documents mean repeated resubmissions for both account-opening and later funding applications.

    See:Incorporate a Hong Kong companyOpen a corporate bank account

  3. 3

    Open up offshore RMB and cross-border funding

    Use Hong Kong's offshore RMB ecosystem for cross-border settlement, trade finance, and moving capital abroad; treat Hong Kong as the pivot for fundraising / listing.

    Pitfall: Treating the Hong Kong account as a channel to move funds in and out at will, ignoring cross-border compliance and filing.

    See:Money

  4. 4

    Set the seat of arbitration in Hong Kong in your contracts

    For contracts with mainland counterparties, agree to settle disputes at HKIAC — Hong Kong is the only jurisdiction outside the mainland that can apply to mainland courts for asset preservation, adding a layer of enforceable rules over mainland assets.

    Pitfall: Copying an arbitration clause off a template and getting the jurisdiction / seat wrong, so the exclusive asset-preservation advantage is lost.

    See:Rules

  5. 5

    Use Hong Kong as a market-expansion springboard (reimbursable under BUD)

    Use the Hong Kong entity to apply for the BUD Fund to expand into the mainland / ASEAN / 48 economies (from 2026-06-15): a cumulative cap of HK$7M per company with 50% government matching; trade fairs, branding, and e-commerce all qualify.

    Pitfall: The official threshold ≠ the practical one; with no turnover / local employees / physical office, fix those first before applying.

    See:BUD Fund

  6. 6

    Land and connect: InvestHK / Qianhai and Hetao

    Get free one-on-one help from InvestHK; to tap Shenzhen–Hong Kong subsidies and the Hong Kong-tax cap, check the entry conditions for Qianhai / Hetao — registering in Qianhai ≠ automatically getting the breaks.

    Pitfall: Moving in for the subsidies without checking the actual thresholds and the conditions for cashing them in.

    See:Qianhai vs Hetao: how to use the two Shenzhen–Hong Kong low-tax sweet spots

Next steps
  1. 01First be clear on 'why Hong Kong' → going global / raising capital / rules, not the local market.
  2. 02Prepare setup and account-opening in parallel → don't wait for the certificate before opening the account.
  3. 03For mainland contracts → set the seat of arbitration to HKIAC and make full use of the asset-preservation advantage.
Related pagesWhy go global via Hong KongShenzhen company vs Hong Kong company: how to choose, how to run bothQianhai vs Hetao: how to use the two Shenzhen–Hong Kong low-tax sweet spotsMoneyRulesBUD Fund

Sources