I wouldn't be so quick to let Guangdong province off the handle that easily. Regardless of its proximity to HK, it still identifies with [pretty much the rest of] mainland China in regards to its reaction and disposition toward and around foreigners.

I suppose the only difference between places like Shandong and Guangdong is that while more northern, less-exposed-to-the-world-outside-of-China areas may not understand the wants and needs of foreigners and may pose as xenophobic environments, places like Guangdong that do indeed have a noticeable population of foreigners are actually just as in the dark, but will pride themselves pretending to be "in-the-know" as they screech out a "helloooooooooooooooooo!!!" (and nothing else) from at anyone who doesn't readily look Han Chinese, afterwards turning to each other discussing how there's no other place you'd rather be than McDonald's because you're obviously a foreigner.

With my experiences, managers in Guangdong, meanwhile, put on an attitude that deprioritises, if not totally ignores, the wants and needs of foreigners working and living in China, as they're well aware that if a foreign faces walks out the door, the systems and networks southern Chinese companies are notorious for that take full advantage of the population of foreigners in southern China will bring in a new foreign face soon enough. In either situation, the foreign fear and suspicion usually doesn't come around in the South until their language comes out of your mouth with a straight face.