Closer ties:
Chief Secretary Henry Tang and Shenzhen Mayor Xu Qin co-chair the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation Meeting.
Site inspection:
Chief Secretary Henry Tang leads a 30-strong delegation to Qianhai.
Chief Secretary
The Chief Secretary for Administration assists the Chief Executive in supervising the policy bureaux as directed by him and plays a key role in ensuring coordination in policy formulation and implementation.
Innovation & Technology
The Innovation & Technology Commission spearheads Hong Kong's drive to become a world-class, knowledge-based economy.
Individual visit scheme to expand
December 06, 2010
Shenzhen will expand the arrangement to allow non-Guangdong residents to apply for individual visit endorsements in Shenzhen to visit Hong Kong from December 15.
The expanded scope of residents will include all people employed by the government, employees of enterprises and individual business owners, covering most non-Guangdong residents employed in Shenzhen. About four million additional residents will be eligible.
Speaking after the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation Meeting in Shenzhen today, Chief Secretary Henry Tang said both sides will promote the new measure to encourage more Mainland visitors to visit Hong Kong.
"This will further facilitate the movement of people between the two places, and will benefit Hong Kong's tourism, retail, catering and other related sectors."
Co-operation pacts
Mr Tang and Shenzhen Mayor Xu Qin co-chaired today's meeting, reaffirming the two governments' commitment to strengthen co-operation and play a more positive role in promoting the enhancement of the Pearl River Delta region.
Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities signed the agreement on exchange and co-operation in registration of companies and enterprises, agreements on exchange and co-operation in testing and certification between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and co-operation agreements on promoting testing, certification and technological innovation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
The two sides also agreed to implement measures in the Framework Agreement on Hong Kong-Guangdong Co-operation and will further promote financial co-operation between the two places.
"The relevant parties in Hong Kong and Shenzhen are actively making arrangements for launching a dual-chip charge card that could carry the electronic money of the two places as soon as feasible."
The Innovation & Technology Commission has entered into agreements with the Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection & Quarantine Bureau, and the Market Supervision Administration of Shenzhen Municipality to enhance mutual understanding of each other's systems and to strengthen exchanges and collaboration in testing and certification.
Cross-boundary works
Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities reached consensus on preparatory works for developing the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point and related improvement works for Shenzhen River, including the handling capacities of the boundary control point, work schedule, entrustment of part of the cross-boundary works for implementation by the Shenzhen side and jointly organising an international design competition for the passenger terminal building.
With the 26th Summer Universiade being held next August in Shenzhen, he said the two governments will form a joint working group to transport participants of the event to and from Shenzhen via Hong Kong.
On the Qianhai Development Plan, Mr Tang said the Government will complement the publicity and promotional work of the Shenzhen authorities to introduce to Hong Kong enterprises, professional sectors and service suppliers the business opportunities brought about by the plan.
He also led a 30-strong delegation, comprising members of the Greater Pearl River Delta Business Council and representatives from business and professional communities, to a meeting with the Shenzhen Mayor to exchange views on the promotion of modern service industries in Qianhai, followed by a site visit to Qianhai.
