This aerial photo taken on Aug 13, 2020 shows a view of Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Shenzhen and Hong Kong have agreed to legally recognize each other’s electronic signatures and stamps.

Shenzhen and Hong Kong firms need to acquire digital certificates issued by Guangdong Electronic Certification Authority Co Ltd, and then sign e-contracts online with the mutually recognized digital certificates and Shenzhen’s electronic stamps

In announcing the agreement, the Shenzhen Administration for Market Regulation said on Wednesday that the deal will facilitate cross-border business and operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic by breaking through geographical restrictions. Signing contracts online is also more time-efficient and convenient, the administration said.

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Travelers from Hong Kong to Shenzhen currently need to quarantine for seven days in a designated facility, and then monitor their health at home for another three days. A quota of about 2,000 people is allowed to cross the border into Shenzhen via the Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint daily.

The new agreement is Shenzhen’s second application of digital authorization technologies with another city, following the mutual recognition of electronic signatures and stamps with Beijing.

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The long-awaited information infrastructure aims to build a smart-city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In 2019, the blueprint of the development of the Greater Bay Area proposed “to take forward the mutual recognition of electronic signature certificates, and promote the use of electronic signature certificates in fields such as public services, finance as well as trade and commerce”.

Shenzhen and Hong Kong firms need to acquire digital certificates issued by Guangdong Electronic Certification Authority Co Ltd, and then sign e-contracts online with the mutually recognized digital certificates and Shenzhen’s electronic stamps.

grace@chinadailyhk.com