UK Tech Mission to China’s Greater Bay Area
We are proud to officially launch the 2026 UK Tech Mission to China’s Greater Bay Area.
23rd–27th November 2026 | Guangzhou • Shenzhen • Hong Kong
The announcement was made at the Bristol and West of England China Bureau's Chinese New Year Banquet, celebrating the Year of the Horse and marking a landmark year in UK–China city collaboration.
This mission is designed as a fast-track platform into Asia-Pacific growth.
The programme builds on renewed UK–China engagement following discussions between Keir Starmer and Xi Jinping, at a time when bilateral trade continues to exceed £100bn annually and visa-free access has opened a timely window for UK founders ready to expand.
✨ 2026 is a milestone year for UK & China Sister City Alliance✨
🔹 25 years of the Bristol–Guangzhou sister city relationship
🔹 20 years of the Birmingham–Guangzhou sister city relationship
This makes our visit to Guangzhou especially significant, a doubly important celebration of long-standing partnerships between major UK cities and one of China’s most dynamic economic regions.
Following Cllr Henry Michallat ASFAV the Lord Mayor of Bristol’s welcome address at the Bristol and West of England China Bureau Year of the Fire Horse Banquet, Richard Lowe (卢礼卓), Director of Business Initiatives and Founder of Tech West England Advocates announced our fourth UK Tech Mission.
🚀 Led by led by UK Tech Advocates, part of the Tech London Advocates & Global Tech Advocates network the mission be once again organised by Hewlett Rand with a proven record of trade mission delivery and scaleup success.
Collaboration partners include the Department for Business and Trade, The British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong The British Chamber of Commerce South China and Institute of Directors (IoD).
We are also delighted to confirm that the University of the West of England has joined as a key partner for the mission with further key partners to be announced across our UK and Global tech network.
This level of partnership ensures senior access, meaningful introductions, and real commercial opportunity for participating companies.
🌏 Why the Greater Bay Area?
The GBA represents:
• 86+ million people
• GDP exceeding US$1.9 trillion
• One of the world’s most advanced manufacturing and innovation ecosystems
For the first time, the mission will include Guangzhou, alongside Shenzhen, often called the Silicon Valley of China and Hong Kong, a global financial hub.
Whether you are looking to:
✔ Explore new business development opportunities
✔ Secure investment
✔ Build resilient supply chains
✔ Establish regional partnerships
🚀 Participation is limited to 12 UK tech companies.
The full programme details will follow, but if you are a tech company serious about expansion to China and Asia-Pacific region, now is the time to express your interest early.