Eleven cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area on Wednesday agreed to jointly attract global talents and develop the region into a favorable environment for professionals.
The intention to collaborate on talent attraction was confirmed by a memorandum of understanding signed at the Second Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area High-quality Talent Development Conference held in Hong Kong.
The conference is part of the two-day Global Talent Summit ‧ Hong Kong, which will conclude on Wednesday.
Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said he believes the signing of the MoU will enhance services for talents in the GBA and foster an ideal environment for talents to settle in and thrive
Speaking as the representative of the host city, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said he believes the signing of the MoU will enhance services for talents in the GBA and foster an ideal environment for talents to settle in and thrive.
Chan said the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has adopted an array of initiatives to draw and retain talents over the past two years, including launching a new Top Talent Pass program targeting top minds and optimization of some existing talent importation policies. These initiatives have successfully attracted nearly 180,000 professionals for the city as of late April, far exceeding the government’s target of bringing in 35,000 per year, Chan said.
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Chan added that Hong Kong is consolidating its strength in tertiary education and working with other GBA cities to promote the complementary and synergistic development of higher education in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.
As the nation’s bridge with international community, the city has also made every effort to promote the flow and exchanges of talents between Hong Kong and the mainland, Chan noted.
Since October 2023, foreign businesspeople based in Hong Kong have been able to apply for multi-entry visas to the mainland. From Monday, mainland business travelers can also stay for up to 14 days in the city, and people in Beijing and Shanghai can apply for talent endorsement to Hong Kong for more frequent exchanges.
All these policy optimizations have been welcomed by professionals in the city, Chan added.
Macao welcomes people from all over the world to start businesses and share the opportunities and dividends of the GBA, said Macao Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieung U
Macao Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieung U said the signing of the MoU is another fruitful result achieved under the cooperation framework of the GBA.
She said Macao has been refining its talent attraction policies to draw more professionals for the city’s key industries.
Universities in Macao are also building platforms to bolster scientist exchanges with overseas especially in Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, she said.
Macao welcomes people from all over the world to start businesses and share the opportunities and dividends of the GBA, Ao Ieung said.
Du Minqi, director-general of the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong province, said as the one-hour living circle of the GBA has gradually become reality, more and more talents have come to the region to pursue their careers, Du said.
The province had helped incubate 5,300 Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneurial projects, with more than 3,900 professionals from the two special administrative regions working in Guangdong, he added.
As the GBA has become a powerhouse under the nation’s high-quality development, cities in the region needs to strive to attract talent to better grasp the opportunities brought by innovation and development, said Du Minqi, director-general of the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong province
Guangdong has also set up 85 outlets across Hong Kong and Macao to help residents purchase mainland social security insurance, said Du.
As the GBA has become a powerhouse under the nation’s high-quality development, cities in the region needs to strive to attract talent to better grasp the opportunities brought by innovation and development, he stressed.
He believes the conference will be an ideal opportunity to further deepen cooperation in the GBA.
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The inaugural Global Talent Summit ‧ Hong Kong kicked off on Tuesday. Over 3,400 participants attended the opening ceremony, two panel discussions and three seminars on the opening day, according to the event’s organizer Hong Kong Talent Engage.
A two-day career expo is held in tandem with the summit to offer job opportunities and consultation services.
