Harnessing collective wisdom for global growth: KPMG successfully hosts series on high-quality international expansion

11 May 2026, Hong Kong (SAR), China ("Hong Kong") – Chinese companies are entering a new phase of globalisation characterised by deeper global operations and more complex business environments. While the opportunities for growth are clear, amid the reshaping of the global landscape and the tightening of regional regulatory restrictions, companies going overseas are facing increasing complexity – particularly around localisation, cross-cultural management, and supply chain security.

To support these companies, KPMG China and the Global China Practice (GCP) have, for several consecutive years, organised the “Global China Practice Week” outbound investment series. The initiative invites experts from KPMG member firms in key overseas investment destinations to engage face-to-face with Chinese enterprises and investors, focusing on investment and sharing successful experiences. These activities have attracted wide attention from various sectors.

From 5th to 9th May, 2026, with the invitation and organisation of the Global China Practice, more than 40 partners and industry experts from KPMG member firms once again travelled to China, gathering in Hong Kong SAR, Shenzhen and Xiamen to engage in in-depth exchanges and discussions with representatives of outbound enterprises and investors. These delegates came from popular destinations for Chinese investment, including emerging markets such as Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia and Latin America, as well as developed markets in Europe and North America.         

This year’s programme commenced in Hong Kong SAR, marking the first time the Global China Practice Week has been held in the city. As a global gateway that combines the strengths of “one country” and “two systems”, Hong Kong serves both as a springboard for Chinese Mainland enterprises expanding overseas and as a gateway for global capital entering China. With strong national support to reinforce its role as a connector between Chinese Mainland and international markets, Hong Kong is increasingly positioned as a strategic hub for Chinese enterprises going global. KPMG hosted a series of client seminars in Hong Kong in collaboration with InvestHK, local business chambers, and partners across the financial and professional services sectors, creating a high-value platform for exchange and collaboration.

At the Global China Practice internal strategy meeting held on 7 May, the Honourable Dr. Starry Lee, Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, President of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Adviser to KPMG China, delivered the opening remarks. She noted that Hong Kong has strong advantages in professional services including finance, legal and accounting. With its close connection with the Chinese Mainland and overseas markets, Hong Kong is able to effectively support Mainland enterprises in expanding overseas. She further stated that KPMG China is deeply rooted in both Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, while also having a strong international network. The firm has long served enterprises in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong SAR and has a deep understanding of their real needs when going global. Leveraging its professional expertise and international resources, KPMG China helps enterprises overcome various challenges in entering overseas markets, demonstrating a strong commitment to serving the country and contributing to national development.

To better support Chinese Mainland enterprises in “going global” through Hong Kong, the Hong Kong SAR Government established a dedicated “GoGlobal Task Force” in October last year, providing one-stop support for Mainland enterprises. Ms. Alpha Lau, Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK, briefed KPMG overseas representatives on Hong Kong’s business advantages, key initiatives to empower Mainland enterprises in their global expansion, the milestones already achieved, future development plans, and strategic direction.

To help overseas representatives better understand China’s economic dynamics and the real needs of Chinese enterprises, KPMG invited Dr. Yue Su, Principal Economist for China at the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), to share her latest insights on global economic development, the interplay between the international political and economic environment and the global expansion of Chinese companies. Following her presentation, Lisa Li, China Lead Partner, Global China Practice at KPMG China, engaged in a dialogue with Dr. Su. They discussed the current domestic and international policy and the market environment, as well as the important role played by professional institutions such as KPMG in supporting Chinese enterprises in their overseas expansion journeys.

KPMG also hosted a client seminar at its Central office in Hong Kong, focusing on opportunities in the Middle East and Central Asia. During the session, members of KPMG Middle East’s China practice shared insights into the current investment landscape, recent tax developments, and sector-specific opportunities across the region. Joe Pacelli, Head of Tax at KPMG Lower Gulf, and Changfeng Wang, Director of China Business Desk at KPMG Caucasus, Central Asia, Arab States & South Asia (CASA) cluster, highlighted the complexity of the tax environment in the Middle East. They noted that their teams have established long-term working relationships with many Chinese enterprises for investing and operating in the region. Given the possibility of frequent and evolving tax regulatory changes, they emphasised that KPMG professionals are able to provide early, actionable alerts and practical guidance, enabling clients to respond with agility and confidence.

Meanwhile, Meir Tlebalde, Head of China Desk at KPMG Caucasus and Central Asia, focused on the investment opportunities available to Chinese enterprises in Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. She highlighted key sectors including mining, agriculture, infrastructure and renewable energy, and shared successful case studies of how KPMG’s local teams have supported Chinese companies in establishing and expanding their investments in these markets.

In the afternoon, KPMG China, in collaboration with the HKCEA Financial & Accounting Affairs Steering Committee, hosted a high-level outbound strategy forum. The senior executives from over 50 member companies attended, engaging in in-depth discussions with KPMG professionals from markets including the UAE, Malaysia and Indonesia. Additional representatives from Germany, the UK, Spain, Singapore, Peru, and Kuwait joined the roundtable discussions, offering diverse global perspectives and practical insights.

Shenzhen is widely recognised as a global centre for technology and innovation, and in recent years, many of its enterprises have built strong international reputations, becoming leaders in their fields. The manufacturing clusters in the Pearl River Delta surrounding Shenzhen are also home to many companies actively going global. KPMG China has supported many enterprises from this region in their international expansion journeys. As such, Shenzhen was selected as a key stop for this year’s outbound investment series, with a full-day programme of seminars hosted at KPMG’s Shenzhen office where Curtis Ng, Vice Chairman and Senior Partner of Southern Region, KPMG China, delivered a welcome speech.

On the morning of 8 May, the North America Investment Seminar, covering the United States, Canada and Mexico, attracted nearly 100 corporate representatives. Experts from KPMG’s financial, tax, trade and customs, and investment incentives policy teams in China, the United States, Canada and Mexico delivered presentations both in person and online. They provided attendees with an overview of the current state and expected trajectory of trade and investment in North America, as well as its implications for Chinese enterprises investing in the region. Presentations were delivered by Harry Zhang, Head of Trade and Customs Services, KPMG China; Rui Fan , Principal, Head of China Business, KPMG US; Shel Shi, Managing Director, Tax credits, KPMG US; Jon Hung, Director, Accounting Advisory, KPMG US; Lyndon Fung, Partner, Head of China Business, KPMG Canada; Simon Chen, Partner, Tax, KPMG Canada; and Dr. David Zou, Vice Chairman and Secretary-General, Smart Capital Club. The experts also provided in-depth analyses of key topics of interest to Chinese investors, including the challenges posed by U.S. tariffs and trade policies and strategies for corporate response: investment site selection and available incentive mechanisms; opportunities and challenges for new energy enterprises investing in the United States and Canada; the investment outlook for Chinese enterprises in the U.S. high-tech and energy sectors; developments in the U.S. capital markets; and overcoming common operational issues.

Two seminars focusing on China’s outbound greenfield investment were also successfully held. The first session focused on Southeast Asia. With its geographical advantages, demographic dividend and strong economic growth potential, Southeast Asia has become a key frontier for Chinese enterprises’ global expansion—from new energy vehicles to textiles and machinery manufacturing. Greenfield investments are not only driving regional economic growth but also injecting momentum into the Belt and Road Initiative.

Experts from KPMG Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia shared insights on key issues impacting Chinese investment in their respective markets.

Leo Yang, Partner, Tax, Head of SG-CN Investment Corridor (Tax), KPMG Singapore, highlighted how Chinese enterprises can leverage Singapore’s tax advantages as a strategic platform to expand into Southeast Asia and global markets. Mah Chun Wai, Senior Director, and Yap Suet Mei, Manager, Investment and Tax Incentives, KPMG in Malaysia, introduced investment landscape in Malaysia, as well as the newly launched New Incentive Framework (NIF) designed to attract investment with high value, high impact, and high growth. Susanto Yeo, Partner, Head of Clients and Markets, Head of China Business Practice, KPMG Indonesia, outlined the incentive policies available to Chinese enterprises investing in Indonesia, and highlighted key considerations in relation to tax refund processes in practice. Low Read Learn, Head of China Practice, KPMG in Thailand, shared the latest investment trends and developments in incentivised industries in Thailand, as well as key issues faced by Chinese enterprises, including certificates of origin, transfer pricing, and other tax matters, together with corresponding approaches. Fang Kun, Director, Mainland China Desk, Tax and Legal, KPMG in Vietnam, provided a comprehensive overview of Vietnam’s recent and upcoming key tax law updates, and analysed their implications for multinational groups and foreign investors, including Chinese enterprises. Yuan Xue, Associate Director, China Desk, KPMG in Cambodia, introduced Chinese investment landscape and trends in Cambodia.

Following the keynote presentations, Haitao Yu, Director, Business Development, KPMG Indonesia, moderated a roundtable discussion, during which experts from Southeast Asia further engaged with participants on specific issues of concern to Chinese enterprises.

The second greenfield investment seminar focused on Europe. Across key priority sectors in Europe—such as electric vehicles and batteries, renewable energy, and data centres—many countries are offering new investment opportunities, attracting Chinese enterprises to establish local operations and deepen localisation strategies. KPMG’s European experts shared detailed insights on these developments.

Andreas Glunz, Managing Partner, International Business, KPMG Germany and Head of Greenfield Investment Hub in KPMG EMA, and Xiaodan Wang, China Business Development Lead, International Business, KPMG in Germany, shared the latest developments of Chinese enterprises operating in Germany and provided forward-looking insights into investing in the country, including how Germany’s transformation and regulatory updates are creating new greenfield investment opportunities. David Slater, Head of International Business, KPMG UK and Matt Jackson, Head of UK-China Business, KPMG UK, provided an overview of Chinese enterprises’ investment activities in the UK, highlighting synergies between the 15th Five-Year Plan and the UK’s own Modern Industrial Strategy where opportunities exist for future Chinese investment into the UK, including investment opportunities and successful cases in sectors such as new energy, fintech, and e-commerce. David Hohn, Head of China Business, KPMG Spain, Jose Antonio, Tax Partner, KPMG Spain, and Ignacio Crespo, Partner, Consulting, KPMG Spain, introduced Spain’s economic trends, recent greenfield investment developments, opportunities in the automotive and energy sectors, and key tax and business considerations. Ping Jiang, Partner, Head of China Practice, KPMG France, analysed industry developments and the investment environment for electric vehicles and batteries in France. Jacques Bortuzzo, Managing Director, Head of China Practice, KPMG Luxembourg, introduced Luxembourg’s strengths as a financial centre and gateway to Europe, as well as the investment ecosystem supporting Chinese enterprises, including Chinese banks. Arnoud Greebe, Partner, Head of China Practice, KPMG the Netherlands, outlined the Netherlands’ business and innovation environment, key sectors of advantage, and compliance requirements for operating in the country.

During the Shenzhen leg of the programme, with the invitation of KPMG’s strategic partner Tencent Cloud, KPMG overseas representatives visited Tencent’s headquarters at the Binhai Building in Shenzhen. KPMG established a strategic partnership with Tencent Cloud five years ago, working together to help enterprise clients build comprehensive digital capabilities. Today, digitalisation has become a critical foundation for companies expanding globally and a key factor influencing the success of outbound investment and localisation. During the visit, Tencent experts and KPMG overseas representatives engaged in in-depth discussions on how digital technologies can empower enterprises in their global expansion journeys. At the meeting, Mr. Richard Zhang, Vice President of Tencent Cloud and Head of Ecosystem, delivered the welcoming speech. He stated that Tencent Cloud's business footprint covers five major continents in the world, maintaining a leading position in cloud computing, data security, and AI foundation models, serving as a solid technological foundation for both Chinese and foreign enterprises going global. KPMG GCP brings together global professional expertise, focusing on assisting Chinese companies expanding overseas and foreign companies entering China, with strong global resources in strategic consulting, cross-border compliance, and financial and tax risk management. Complementing each other's strengths, the two parties have formed a comprehensive global service capability matrix.

Fujian is known for the enterprising spirit of its merchants, often described as “daring to strive and destined to win”. With overseas Chinese communities established across the globe, the province enjoys natural connections and insights that support local enterprises in their international expansion. Xiamen, as a key node of the Pilot Free Trade Zone and the Maritime Silk Road, is home to a number of well-known companies that have expanded globally across sectors such as new energy, new materials, electric vehicles, consumer goods, and cross-border e-commerce. In recognition of this heritage, the final stop of KPMG’s overseas investment series was held in Xiamen—often referred to as the “Egret Island”, a garden city by the sea. The aim was to provide enterprises in the region and its surrounding areas with first-hand insights into overseas markets, connect with international resources, and offer professional support to empower their global expansion.

On the afternoon of 9 May, with the support of the Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce and the Xiamen Municipal Bureau of Commerce, two seminars focusing on developed markets in the United States and Europe, as well as emerging markets, were successfully held in Xiamen. More than 100 representatives from Fujian enterprises that have already expanded overseas, or are planning to do so, attended the sessions. Maria Mei, Senior Partner, Fuzhou and Xiamen Offices, KPMG China, delivered the opening remarks. Experts from KPMG member firms in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and Luxembourg, specialising in tax, advisory and consulting, together with professionals from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the UAE, Kuwait, Kazakhstan and India, engaged in in-depth discussions with participating enterprises on key investment topics across different markets.

From Hong Kong to Shenzhen, and then to Xiamen, KPMG’s overseas representatives travelled across southern China—one of the most dynamic regions for innovation and outbound expansion. Through a series of intensive seminars, one-on-one discussions, and site visits, local enterprises gained first-hand insights from overseas experts while establishing valuable connections to support their future global strategies. At the same time, KPMG’s overseas professionals gained a clear and accurate understanding of the real needs and challenges faced by Chinese enterprises in their international expansion. With these insights, KPMG China and its global member firms are better equipped to address clients’ specific challenges and provide practical, customised tax and advisory solutions. The programme concluded with valuable outcomes for both Chinese enterprises and KPMG’s overseas teams, laying the groundwork for continued collaboration and support as Chinese companies expand internationally.

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