On July 14, the "Supporting Overseas Expansion of Greater Bay Area Enterprises – Seminar on Intellectual Property and Data Protection" was successfully held at the Go Global section of the Nanshan Global Service Center. The event was jointly organized by the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee, and the Nanshan District Committee and Government, with support from the Shenzhen Enterprise Overseas Legal Services and Legal Research Center.

The event was attended by Zhang Guojun, Deputy Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Zhang Liwei, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, representatives from relevant municipal and district authorities, 28 representatives from the Hong Kong legal sector, and representatives from 50 Shenzhen-based enterprises.

Prior to the event, representatives of Hong Kong lawyers visited the Global Service Center to learn about Nanshan's innovative practices and resources in providing international legal services and supporting enterprises in their overseas expansion. As a comprehensive international service platform established by Nanshan District, the Global Service Center provides enterprises with one-stop support for overseas expansion and assists foreign enterprises investing in China. The Center pioneered the "Five Services" system covering business, legal, tax, financial and administrative services, creating an integrated support framework across the entire business lifecycle. Its professional services currently extend to more than 120 countries and regions, including the United States, Germany, Singapore, Brazil and South Africa.

On the same day, the Nanshan Branch of the Shenzhen Enterprise Overseas Legal Services and Legal Research Center and the Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Foreign-related Legal Services were officially established, marking a new stage in the development of Nanshan's foreign-related legal service capabilities.

Following the opening of the event, Qiao Jun, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Nanshan District Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, introduced Nanshan's initiatives in supporting enterprises' international development. With strong demand for overseas expansion and a globally oriented industrial landscape, Nanshan District has established a comprehensive international service system, strengthened the Global Service Center, developed foreign-related legal service platforms, and introduced various support policies to provide enterprises with comprehensive assistance in their global expansion.

In his remarks, Zhang Liwei, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, noted that as a window of China's opening-up, Shenzhen's enterprises have entered a new stage of international development featuring branding, specialization and globalization. Meanwhile, intellectual property protection and data compliance have become among the most pressing concerns for enterprises expanding overseas. The theme of this event directly addressed these key business needs. Shenzhen will continue to deepen legal cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, promote effective collaboration between legal service resources in both regions, and provide demand-oriented support for enterprises going global.

Zhang Guojun, Deputy Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, highlighted that the national 15th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong's deeper integration into national development and encourages Hong Kong's professional sectors to contribute to enterprises' overseas expansion. Hong Kong lawyers possess extensive practical experience in areas including intellectual property protection and cross-border data protection, enabling them to provide targeted legal support for enterprises from different industries and at various stages of international development. He expressed hope that a series of exchange and matchmaking activities would facilitate more practical cooperation between mainland enterprises and Hong Kong legal professionals.

During the thematic sharing session, Hong Kong lawyers Liu Jianing and Choi On-yee delivered presentations on "Cross-border Data Protection in Overseas Expansion" and "Cross-border Intellectual Property Protection", respectively. Through analysis of representative cases, they discussed common legal risks faced by enterprises expanding overseas and corresponding risk management strategies, providing practical guidance for participating enterprises.

The Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone Management Bureau subsequently introduced the development of the Shenzhen Enterprise Overseas Legal Services and Legal Research Center, as well as the functions of the "AI Navigator for Overseas Legal Research." Online, the AI service platform covers 104 countries and regions and enables enterprises to generate bilingual legal research reports with one click free of charge. Offline, a service network featuring a "municipal hub plus district-level liaison stations" has been established. Branch centers have been launched in Futian, Luohu, Nanshan, Longgang and Bao’an, as well as a Qianhai-Hetao Intellectual Property Branch Center, facilitating resource allocation between the municipal and district levels.

During the networking session, representatives from 50 enterprises and 28 Hong Kong lawyers engaged in face-to-face discussions based on different industry sectors. Many enterprises brought specific legal issues for consultation, and the participating lawyers provided targeted responses and solutions. The participating enterprises covered various industries, including technology, cross-border e-commerce and advanced manufacturing. Some had already established overseas operations, while others were preparing for international expansion. Their legal needs focused on areas such as overseas intellectual property strategies, cross-border data compliance and responses to trademark squatting.

Enterprise representatives highly praised the event for its practical and efficient approach. They noted that discussions with experienced Hong Kong lawyers helped address key challenges in intellectual property protection and data compliance, while also providing new perspectives on overseas expansion strategies. The well-organized group discussions enabled enterprises to engage in in-depth exchanges with legal professionals, expanding access to international legal resources and offering innovative approaches to compliance management.

The main venue of the event was located at the Global Service Center, while the Shenzhen Enterprise Overseas Legal Services and Legal Research Center simultaneously conducted an online livestream. More than 20 enterprises participated remotely, expanding the event's reach and creating a coordinated model featuring "one theme, dual venues and collaboration between municipal and district levels".

In December 2025, Shenzhen and Hong Kong jointly organized their first "Supporting Enterprises' Overseas Expansion" exchange event, attracting 76 Shenzhen enterprises and more than 40 Hong Kong lawyers, which received positive feedback. Building on this foundation, the current event further focused on intellectual property and data protection, strengthening professional connections and enabling Shenzhen enterprises to access Hong Kong's international legal resources without leaving the Greater Bay Area. Through the principle of "connecting the Greater Bay Area with global markets", Shenzhen and Hong Kong will continue to organize thematic and industry-specific exchange activities addressing emerging legal needs in overseas expansion, further developing a distinctive Shenzhen-Hong Kong legal service cooperation brand and supporting Shenzhen enterprises in achieving sustainable global growth.