Hong Kong, Macau young people in line for Beijing’s ‘big package of gifts’ offering nearly 60,000 job, exchange and internship opportunities
- Mainland Chinese officials say they will back at least 120 projects involving budding entrepreneurs from the two cities
- Beijing to provide 30,000 mainland exchange places, 15,000 internships and 12,000 job opportunities by 2025
Beijing has pledged to support at least 120 Hong Kong and Macau entrepreneurial projects, offering nearly 60,000 job, exchange and internship opportunities for young people from the two cities in the next five years.
The raft of measures, the central government’s latest in support of Hong Kong’s economy and residents, also grants university students in the city access to national scholarships and allows them to enter a series of high-profile technology and innovation contests held in mainland China.
Mainland officials unveiled the package on Thursday at a webinar organised by the All-China Youth Federation in Hong Kong, coming hot on the heels of the central government announcing plans to make it easier for Hong Kong accountants, lawyers, surveyors and tech professionals to work over the border.
Zhang Zhihua, youth department head of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, said the new measures were a “big package of gifts” from mainland officials.
“I hope Hong Kong’s young people will understand the nation’s development … Their biggest opportunities are in integrating with the mainland, and the Hong Kong government needs to allocate more resources to support the implementation of these measures,” he added.
Under the package of initiatives, China’s youth innovation and entrepreneur support scheme will launch a new campaign for Hong Kong and Macau, supporting at least 120 projects led by budding young entrepreneurs from the two cities over the next five years.
