Dongguan is stepping up efforts to attract multinational companies by offering special incentives for headquarters investment. Under new rules released by Department of Commerce of Guangdong Province in July, qualifying multinational headquarters and related institutions based in Dongguan can now receive a one-off reward of up to RMB 8 million (about USD 1.1 million). 

The policy, officially titled the Implementation Rules for Multinational Company Headquarters Development Incentives in Guangdong, aims to encourage more foreign investors to establish or expand their regional and global management functions in Guangdong. For foreign enterprises operating in Dongguan, it represents a strong signal of policy support and long-term commitment.  

01 Who qualifies?      

To be eligible, companies must be legally registered in Dongguan and recognized by the provincial commerce authority as a multinational regional headquarters, a headquarters-type institution, or higher-level entities such as a China headquarters, Asia-Pacific headquarters, or global business division headquarters. 

Each category comes with specific requirements. Regional headquarters must hold independent legal status, have a minimum paid-in capital of USD 2 million, and be backed by a parent company with global assets of at least USD 200 million (USD 100 million for service firms). They must also oversee at least three subsidiaries, with at least one located outside Guangdong.  

China or Asia-Pacific headquarters require at least USD 10 million in paid-in capital, annual revenue of over RMB 1 billion, and a parent company with global assets above USD 500 million. They must also maintain a resident management team and sufficient staffing. 

02 Reward standards       

The policy specifies two types of support: 

1.  Multinational regional headquarters or headquarters-type institutions registered in Dongguan that bring in over USD 10 million in new actual foreign investment within a year can receive a one-time reward of RMB 5 million; 

2. Qualified China headquarters, Asia-Pacific headquarters, or global divisional headquarters of multinational companies in Dongguan, with no less than USD 10 million in newly added actual foreign investment in the previous year, may receive incentives of up to RMB 8 million. 

By refining eligibility standards and raising financial incentives, Dongguan and Guangdong Province aim to build a stronger headquarters economy, attract higher-value foreign investment, and anchor more decision-making power of multinational firms in the region. For investors, the policy offers not just financial support but also a sign of Dongguan's growing role as a hub for global business operations in southern China.