Union Comm Presents SME Cross-Border Investment Pathways at APEC SME Investment Day in Guangzhou
Updated: Sep 6
Union Communications Hong Kong Limited (“Union Comm”), a leading policy advocacy consultancy, shared practical recommendations on how small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs") can leverage Hong Kong, China and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) framework to strengthen their cross-border investment capabilities. The presentation was delivered at the APEC SME “Investment Day” Thematic Event in Guangzhou, China, on 5 September 2026.
The Thematic Event was organized by the China Centre for Promotion of SME Development, and formed part of the supporting programme of the 21st China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair (CISMEF), held in Guangzhou from 3 to 6 September under the theme “Empowering SMEs with Artificial Intelligence.” Hosted by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the fair brought together more than 2,000 Chinese and international SMEs from over 40 economies and regions, as well as representatives from more than 70 economies, regions and international organizations.
Sam Han, partner at Union Comm, delivered a presentation entitled “Facilitating Cross-Border Investment for SMEs within the APEC Framework: The Connecting Role of Hong Kong, China and Practical Pathways for Enterprises.”
“Cross-border investment facilitation is not simply about removing one administrative procedure,” Han said. “For SMEs, it is about reducing uncertainty throughout the entire process—from understanding market-entry rules and managing compliance to accessing capital, building trust and finding the right partners.”
Han proposed that SMEs should move from a narrow focus on “going global” towards actively participating in regional cooperation networks. Within this process, APEC can provide enterprises with a common language for regional cooperation, policy dialogue, capacity-building opportunities, case visibility and platforms for cross-economy collaboration.
Han’s recommendations also reflected priorities highlighted at the 32nd APEC Small and Medium Enterprises Ministerial Meeting, held in Guangzhou on 4 September. These included creating an enabling environment for innovation and technology adoption, improving SMEs’ access to finance and new markets, accelerating digital adoption, and strengthening their participation in regional and global supply chains.
Against this broader APEC policy backdrop, Han explained that Hong Kong, China can help SMEs strengthen five essential areas of cross-border investment capability: regulatory understanding, compliance management, access to finance, trusted data and digital trade, and connections with markets and partners.
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