Guangdong renews HK water supply agreement

Guangdong province and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region signed a water supply agreement in the provincial capital Guangzhou on Wednesday to ensure a stable, safe and high-quality water supply to Hong Kong over the next three years.

The signing of the agreement is an important basis for implementing the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cooperation Framework Agreement and ensuring the safety of the water supply to Hong Kong, said Wang Lixin, director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources.

"It is not only the result of long-term mutual trust and sincere cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong, but also a new starting point for both sides to work together to achieve high-quality development," said Wang at the signing ceremony.

He said both sides would continue to maintain close exchanges and strengthen water supply cooperation in the months to come, providing water supply security for the high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The agreement was signed by Wang and Bernadette Linn Honho, Hong Kong's secretary for development.

According to the agreement, the annual water supply to Hong Kong will be around 820 million cubic meters for the coming three years.

Linn said Hong Kong and Guangdong are both nourished by the Pearl River and the agreement would improve the already close relations.

She thanked the central government for its long-term support for Hong Kong's economic development.

Tony Yau, director of water supplies in Hong Kong, said the agreement greatly helps Hong Kong solve its water shortage problem.

"The water supply pipeline to Hong Kong is not only the source of life, but also the emotional bond between the two sides," he said.

Guangdong has provided uninterrupted water supply to Hong Kong for decades and the water supplied meets national standards, Yau told reporters on the sidelines of the signing ceremony.

The water supply from Guangdong accounts for about 80 percent of Hong Kong's total, he added.

Rong Zhuangqiang, director of the dispatch division of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources, said it will continue to effectively protect the water quality of the Dongjiang River, a tributary of the Pearl River, improve engineering operation and management standards and ensure the quantity and quality of the water supply to Hong Kong.

It is the 13th water supply agreement Guangdong and Hong Kong have signed, said Rong.

Guangdong has been providing stable water supply to Hong Kong since 1965, with a cumulative supply of more than 29 billion cubic meters to the SAR, contributing to its stability and prosperity.