Nansha tech boost offers a bigger cake for ‘brother’ Hong Kong, not rivalry: Guangzhou mayor
- Guo Yonghang says his city needs to take advantage of Hong Kong’s role as a ‘super-connector’ to foster global partnerships in tech projects
- Separately, Beijing’s liaison office meets foreign business chambers to gauge views on operations in Hong Kong and border controls, sources say
A senior mainland Chinese official has dismissed suggestions Guangzhou’s Nansha district may become a competitor to Hong Kong, arguing Beijing’s plan to boost technological innovation in the development zone will create opportunities rather than rivalry.
Guo Yonghang, the mayor of Guangzhou, made the remarks on Friday, while a source with a European business chamber told the Post that Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong had recently met some foreign lobby groups to gauge their views on their operations in the city.
Another insider said the office had been seeking feedback on the economic situation and their views on border controls in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The meeting was held amid growing calls from the business sector, including the lobbying groups, to relax quarantine measures for travellers, which they warned were undermining Hong Kong’s financial hub status.
Addressing a press conference on the State Council’s plans for Nansha, Guo said his administration would also continue to cooperate with Hong Kong in areas such as commerce and trade so that the district and the mainland city as a whole could attract more companies hoping to expand, as well as young entrepreneurs from the Asian financial hub eyeing the mainland market.
“We need to make use of Hong Kong’s strength as a ‘super-connector’ … to [foster the commercialisation] of international technological [research] achievements,” he said.
“We also need to promote ourselves to international investors … and become the base for young Hong Kong and Macau entrepreneurs.”
