The first batch of visitors from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region cross to the Chinese mainland at Futian port in Shenzhen on Jan 8, 2023. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
Various social groups in Hong Kong are actively mulling over plans to visit the Chinese mainland to take the pulse of the nation’s latest developments and reestablish connections that have been suspended for nearly three years.
Through such trips, including youth exchanges, academic activities and meetings with local government officials, they hope to gain a better understanding of the new policies that could benefit Hong Kong’s development.
The groups’ plans are now possible following the resumption of quarantine-free cross-border travel from Jan 8, and the resumption of the high-speed railway service between Hong Kong and the mainland from Jan 15.
On the day the high-speed train services reopened, Hong Kong lawmaker Edward Leung Hei traveled by train to Shunde district of Foshan, together with members of the youth wing of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB).
Hong Kong lawmaker Edward Leung Hei said that his DAB delegation plans to visit all nine GBA cities in Guangdong province to gather information for a one-stop information platform, which the youth wing of the DAB will soon launch to provide Hong Kong youngsters with updates on local policies
During their visit to Shunde Idea Industry Park, Guangdong Industrial Design City, and the headquarters of Midea Group — a bellwether electrical appliance manufacturer — the group learned about the area’s latest developments, and the opportunities they could provide for Hong Kong youngsters.
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Leung said he was impressed by Shunde’s endeavor to lure talent. The government has offered much support in the area of intellectual property protection, and in providing other legal services to enterprises. Companies also regularly hold activities to enable single employees to socialize and mingle.
He said that his delegation plans to visit all nine GBA cities in Guangdong province to gather information for a one-stop information platform, which the youth wing of the DAB will soon launch to provide Hong Kong youngsters with updates on local policies. The group will try to provide assistance to mainland enterprises that are looking to recruit Hong Kong talents.
Alex Yeung Ching-loong, chairman of the Hong Kong United Youth Association, said the association plans to help more than 200 university students in Hong Kong to take internships in mainland organizations, including State-owned enterprises and cultural or financial institutions, during their summer holiday.
He said he hopes the students will cherish such hard-won opportunities and gain much from their experience.
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This undated photo shows a view of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. (PHOTO / VCG)
Alex Yeung Ching-loong, chairman of the Hong Kong United Youth Association, said the association plans to help more than 200 university students in Hong Kong to take internships in mainland organizations, including State-owned enterprises and cultural or financial institutions, during their summer holiday
Poon Hok-chi, co-convenor of Path of Democracy, is preparing to lead a delegation to Beijing to deepen academic exchanges between the nation’s capital city and Hong Kong.
He hopes to visit some central government departments in charge of, or that deal with, Hong Kong affairs, such as the National People’s Congress, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, as well as university institutions and think tanks that study “one country, two systems” and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s Basic Law.
He said these exchanges will enable Hong Kong associations to better understand the situation in the mainland, and to communicate news of developments to Hong Kong and the rest of the world, to make an impact on the international stage.
Tse Hiu-hung, deputy director of Proactive Think Tank, has also revealed plans to visit GBA cities and strengthen contacts with local departments. She has urged the political community in Hong Kong to strengthen its understanding of the new policies on the mainland to better facilitate local young people seeking to tap into development opportunities there.
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Chan Wing-kwong, chairman of the Hong Kong Registered Chinese Medicine Practitioners Association, said his group will organize face-toface academic communication with its mainland counterparts in the near future. Through these exchanges, the association will be able to observe the mainland’s successful promotion of traditional Chinese medicine development, and to apply what they learn to boost Hong Kong’s TCM industry, Chan said.