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Hong Kong is betting on integration with mainland China but what are the risks?

In the second of a two-part series on the economy as Hong Kong marks 29 years since its return to Chinese rule, Lo Hoi Ying…

By Samantha Johnson / June 27, 2026
In the second of a two-part series on the economy as Hong Kong marks 29 years since its return to Chinese rule, Lo Hoi Ying and Leopold Chen look at the city’s efforts at closer integration with the nation and the opportunities and obstacles it presents. Part one can be found here.

A question from his niece about how face masks should be recycled prompted materials scientist Eddie Yu to rethink sustainability and inspired him to develop biodegradable materials when he started his company, OKOsix, in Hong Kong in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Five years on, the company has seen strong demand from Western markets such as Canada, Europe and Australia and is set to expand further in these economies.

The firm has also expanded its presence in mainland China by establishing regional headquarters in the Hong Kong Science Park Shenzhen Branch in the technology hub’s Futian district, as it eyes a reliable supply chain and the vast market of the world’s second-largest economy.

“We’ve already got some sizeable orders and this will be our headquarters in China,” he said. “We will build a factory in Guangdong in the near future.”

OKOsix is one of a myriad of Hong Kong businesses benefiting from the government’s push for greater integration with the Greater Bay Area and the mainland in recent years.

The bay area is Beijing’s master plan to link up Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in neighbouring Guangdong province into an economic powerhouse.

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