Special Provisions for Supervision and Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Production, released by the National Medical Products Administration on 8 September, apply to the production, supervision and administration of Chinese medicine decoction pieces and formula granules, proprietary Chinese medicine and herbal extracts. These new rules will enter into force on 1 March 2026.

Guangzhou has established a strong base for the biomedicine industry and evolved into a core city for its development in the GBA. The International Medical Industry Innovation Center (IMIIC) and Scientific and Technological Innovation Service Platform at the Guangdong Medical Valley (GDMV) have been proactively co-operating with foreign countries in importing technology and resources to grow business at home and abroad. This development has brought about new opportunities for Hong Kong industry players wishing to expand the Mainland market.

Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority and Hong Kong’s Department of Health have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening cooperation in enhancing public health protection and medical innovation. Signed on 13 August 2025, the MoU covers aspects such as regulating drugs and medical devices, advancing tobacco control, enhancing regulatory capacity, and supporting training efforts.

On 10 September, the State Council announced its in-principle approval of the Implementation Plan for Strengthening Primary Healthcare Services. The plan is aimed at improving the development layout and facilities of primary-level healthcare institutions and enhancing the capacity of basic public health and medical services.

On 15 September, the Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration (GDMPA) and the Health Commission of Guangdong Province jointly announced measures for the administration of catalogue of Hong Kong and Macao-registered drugs and medical devices for urgent clinical use in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s nine Mainland cities.

Foreign and domestic medical device facilities – including any Mainland China or Hong Kong facilities – that do not properly renew their registrations with the FDA can be locked out of the U.S. market. Renewals for such facilities are due each year.

On 21 August, the State Council announced that it had approved in principle a plan to accelerate opening up and innovation across the entire biopharmaceutical industrial chain in the China (Jiangsu) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Hong Kong and Shenzhen are deepening their collaboration in biomedicine, aiming for joint innovation and development in this field. While Hong Kong is the regional leader in medical services and technology with abundant international resources, Shenzhen has a strong foundation in R&D as well as manufacturing. Hong Kong and Shenzhen can each leverage their strengths to jointly give impetus to the globalisation efforts of their respective biomedicine sectors. With their deepening co-operation in the areas of bioscience, the two cities will be able to build closer collaboration ties and jointly deal with global challenges to achieve success.

Guangdong is stepping up its development of the biomedicine industry, including giving support to connecting the nine Mainland cities with Hong Kong and Macao in the GBA and further promoting the sector’s upgrading and development through mutual complementarity, co-operation in technology innovation, and market development and promotion. This focus on technology innovation and market development is opening significant opportunities for biomedical industries across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.

The Hong Kong government is sparing no efforts to develop new-quality productive forces tailored to local conditions in line with national policies, including developing Hong Kong into an international health and medical innovation hub. The government is taking positive steps to reform the approval mechanism for drugs and medical devices and strengthen biomedical R&D and translation. As the super connector and super value-adder, Hong Kong’s service platform not only can assist mainland biomedical companies in going out to develop their international business but can continuously attract overseas companies to join Hong Kong and mainland counterparts in tapping business opportunities.