The Dream Factory of China

Economic and livelihood development are the two main priorities of the central government's liaison office in Hong Kong as it promotes development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the office chief said on April 29.

Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, made the remarks in an article published in Study Times, the Central Party School's Chinese-language newspaper.

Innovation and technology are vital engines of the Bay Area's economic development, and the liaison office will support Hong Kong's effort to play a leading role in the Bay Area's transformation into a global inno-tech hub, Wang wrote.

Hong Kong not only needs more funding in the field, but also relies on collaboration with Shenzhen and other cities within the Bay Area, he added.

Collaboration projects, including the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park and a Shenzhen-Hong Kong special cooperation zone for inno-tech in the Lok Ma Chau Loop, will play key roles in the region's inno-tech development, Wang said.

The other priority is promoting collaboration between Hong Kong and the mainland to improve people's livelihood, Wang added.

A series of actions have been taken to encourage and support Hong Kong youngsters to pursue their careers or start their own businesses on the mainland side of the Bay Area.

According to the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub, as of December, the base has incubated 356 startup teams, 176 of which are from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries. The base also has provided about 1,500 internship vacancies to Hong Kong university students.

Wang believes that in the future, the city will closely work with mainland cities within the Bay Area to set up more Hong Kong youth innovation entrepreneurship hubs, providing one-stop services, including financing, startup consultancy and daily-life facilities.

In addition, the liaison office will continue to play its role as a coordinator among the central, Guangdong provincial, and Hong Kong SAR governments to introduce more cross-boundary policies within the Bay Area, which will make it easier for Hong Kong residents to work and live on the mainland.

The liaison office will listen to different views in the city and join with different sectors to promote the in-depth development of the Bay Area, Wang added.

In the past year, the central government announced a number of policies to facilitate the lives of Hong Kong and Macao people on the mainland, including tax concessions and abolishing resident permits from the two SARs.