At a recent forum in Hong Kong, policy experts identified significant opportunities to modernize China’s philanthropy sector by integrating practices from Hong Kong’s established charitable ecosystem. The panel argued that mainland organizations currently face challenges that could be mitigated by adopting more favorable legal environments and professionalizing social service delivery.

According to the experts, the Greater Bay Area (GBA)—a regional development initiative connecting Hong Kong, Macau, and nine mainland cities—serves as an ideal catalyst for this transition. By leveraging the GBA’s interconnected infrastructure, mainland charities could gain access to Hong Kong’s expertise in governance, fundraising, and operational transparency. The discussion emphasized that while the mainland sector is growing, it requires a structural overhaul to reach its full potential in addressing social needs.

While the forum focused on the benefits of integration, it also underscored that the process is not merely about funding, but about shifting the regulatory and professional culture within mainland China. The experts suggested that Hong Kong’s role as a bridge could help standardize charitable practices across the region, though they acknowledged that aligning two distinct legal and social systems remains a complex task. The event highlighted a growing push to treat philanthropy as a professional industry rather than an informal social activity, with the GBA acting as the primary laboratory for these reforms.