Guangdong vows greater backing for HK, Macao people

Guangdong has pledged to improve policies to support Hong Kong and Macao residents in studying, working, living or setting up businesses in the province, and create more opportunities for them to develop their careers there.

Governor Ma Xingrui said his government will offer suggestions on implementing the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as a three-year action plan in the coming days.

He made the remarks at the Symposium on the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in Hong Kong on Thursday.

Ma said development in the Bay Area has made significant progress and achievements, with a batch of landmark projects, cooperative development platforms and innovative policies being launched.

Policies that support Hong Kong and Macao residents studying, working or living on the mainland have been gradually introduced, promoting cross-boundary flow of people, goods and capital, he said.

"We will improve supporting policies that facilitate Hong Kong and Macao residents in studying, working, doing businesses and living in Guangdong, promote the construction of innovation and entrepreneurship bases for Hong Kong and Macao youths, and deepen cooperation in setting up jointly-run schools and hospitals to create more opportunities for people from the two special administrative regions to develop on the mainland," the governor said.

As the next step, Guangdong will learn from the experience of other world-class bay areas and promote development in the Bay Area with "high quality and high standards" based on the strategic position stated in the blueprint, he said.

Guo Lanfeng - director-general of the Department of Regional Economy at the National Development and Reform Commission - said development in the Bay Area should always focus on improving people's livelihoods.

To enable Hong Kong and Macao residents to enjoy the same public services as their mainland counterparts, the nation has been issuing new mainland residence permits to them since September last year. So far, 90,000 residents from Hong Kong and 20,000 from Macao have applied for the permits.

"In the past, Hong Kong professionals could face the problem of qualification recognition when it comes to running a business on the mainland. They could also encounter difficulties in living, and in education and seeking medical treatment on the mainland," noted Zhang Guangnan - a professor at the Institute of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao Development Studies of Sun Yat-sen University.

"With the development plan, Hong Kong and Macao residents will find working and living on the mainland more convenient, as the country will coordinate the issues from the national level and make technological innovations."

Ma also noted that, in order to facilitate the orderly and convenient flow of all kinds of resources, Guangdong is committed to integrating regulations in such fields as law, finance, medical care and construction.

Under the blueprint, one of the key tasks is to promote innovation in systems and mechanisms relating to cooperation and exchanges with the two SARs, including investment facilitation and trade liberalization.

An array of joint laboratories is also in the pipeline with the aim of bridging universities, scientific institutions and companies in Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong.

Some long-standing barriers in the exchange of personnel, logistics and economic activities are expected to be removed by the establishment of the national strategy, said Cai Xiaoqiang, associate vice-president and presidential chair professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.

He believes the region's overall economic system will become more effective and energetic. "The result is more than simply adding up the resources of each city."