Make cross-border work in ‘Greater Bay Area’ easy for business professionals, Beijing think tank tells authorities
- The Centre for China and Globalisation calls for closer integration between Hong Kong, Macau and nine mainland cities in Guangdong province
- Measures proposed are aimed at specific tech and business talent, with also a suggestion of a new university
A Beijing-based think tank has urged authorities to allow business employees and professionals to travel freely between Hong Kong and its 10 neighbouring cities, so that the region can be turned into an financial and innovation powerhouse.
Issuing its talents development policy study report, the Centre for China and Globalisation (CCG) also proposed promoting academic exchanges in the “Greater Bay Area” by creating a new university to bring together the best scholars from the region to educate the young.
Beijing’s Greater Bay Area plan aims at closer integration between Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in Guangdong province to rival other city clusters such as Silicon Valley in the US and the Tokyo bay area in Japan.
However, under Hong Kong’s immigration policy, mainland Chinese residents who come to work need to obtain an employment endorsement from mainland authorities, or apply through Hong Kong’s admission schemes for mainland professionals, and tech talents.
Hong Kong people working on the mainland must pay Chinese personal income tax if they spend more than 183 days a year across the border.