HK, Guangdong sign detailed plan to deepen cooperation

Leaders of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Guangdong province on Friday concluded a new work plan on regional cooperation to further promote cross-boundary personnel exchanges, as well as innovation and technology development in the region.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Guangdong Governor Ma Xingrui co-signed the 2020 Work Plan in the form of an exchange of letters. The work plan ironed out 57 measures covering eight key areas concerning cross-boundary cooperation in infrastructure development and customs clearance facilitation, business, innovation technology, education, and professional services.

The agreement was signed in an effort by the two places to build up the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a key strategic development plan of the nation. In 2019, the central government mapped out an outline development plan for the Bay Area.

The further collaboration, on the basis of the complementary and mutual benefits of the two places, aims to develop the region into an international innovation and technology hub and contribute to the nation's Belt and Road Initiative, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong government said in a statement.

In the meantime, the measures will improve the quality of life of the local people, the spokesperson added.

Lo Wai-kwok, a legislator representing Hong Kong's engineering sector, told China Daily that the plan's proposals to improve cross-boundary transportation infrastructure will help realize the potential for further integration of Hong Kong into the mainland.

With that in place, the region is expected to see continuing growth in the flow of people and materials with more-frequent economic exchanges in the future, he added.

There is room for development in the existing transportation network if the cross-boundary restrictions can be optimized. For example, more vehicles, including private cars, could be licensed to use the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in the future, allowing residents on both sides of the Pearl River to live in a "one-hour economic circle", Lo said.

Lo also noted a proposal for a robust joint epidemic prevention and control mechanism between the two places, especially for the resumption and enhancement of communication in the region under the pandemic.

He said that the two places have been maintaining communication and coordination on the experience of the SARS outbreak in 2003. In the current digital era, a more-timely and comprehensive information exchange would allow the two regions to act more quickly in cases of emergencies and to track the spread of viruses more effectively, he said.

Apart from the flow of people, the two places are expected to work on facilitating the flow of cross-boundary use of scientific research funds, a major move that would see a push in the city's science and research sector.

Wong Kam-fai, a professor at the Faculty of Engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said that cross-boundary use of scientific research funds would encourage more Hong Kong researchers to participate in mainland projects. As a result, the cutting-edge scientific results of Hong Kong universities would have a greater chance of having industrial applications, and even to take part in some national projects.

In addition to the flow of funds, Wong hoped the two places would facilitate the cross-boundary exchanges of international researchers, such as issuing multiple-entry visas for the foreign researchers in their international teams so that they could also contribute their wisdom to mainland projects.

The work plan also proposes making it easier for Hong Kong residents to live on the mainland and work with mainland partners. The Hong Kong residents would be able to open personal accounts at mainland banks remotely, to purchase property, and to join a basic pension plan in their cities of residence if they meet certain conditions.

The spokesman said that the Hong Kong government will cooperate with the Guangdong government as soon as possible to implement the measures in the 2020 Work Plan and to proactively move forward the development of the Greater Bay Area.