(Year-end Feature) Hong Kong 2020: Despite the fetters, the Greater Bay Area still has a solid foothold
China News Service, Hong Kong, December 28th. Title: Hong Kong 2020: Despite the fetters, the Greater Bay Area is still building a solid foothold
China News Agency reporter Suo Youwei
2020 is about to go away. As one of the important ways of governance in China, the "five-year plan" will open the fourteenth chapter in 2021.
The construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (Greater Bay Area), which is a national strategy to promote the development of "one country, two systems" in the new era, was officially released in March 2016 in the outline of the 13th Five-Year Plan.
In 2020, which is full of challenges and variables, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to make a solid foothold on the road to the construction of the Greater Bay Area despite the pros and cons of Hong Kong’s society from chaos and the epidemic.
In May 2020, the central government issued the "Opinions on Financial Support for the Construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" to support Hong Kong's unique advantages in the financial system under the policy of "one country, two systems" and deepen financial cooperation between the Mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.
In the first 11 months of 2020, Hong Kong’s total IPO funds raised reached 305 billion Hong Kong dollars, temporarily ranking second in the world.
Currently, more than half of the companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are mainland companies, which account for more than 80% of the total value and trading volume of the Hong Kong stock market.
The Financial Secretary Chen Maobo delivered a speech at the relevant event on December 27, stating that under the new development pattern of the country's domestic and international dual cycle, Hong Kong can further strengthen its "intermediary in the international cycle" with its unique advantages of "one country, two systems". The role of “facilitator” and “facilitator”; at the same time, the Greater Bay Area can be used as an entry point to better integrate into the overall development of the country and actively become a “participant” in the domestic cycle.
The National Fourteenth Five-Year Plan and the recent Central Economic Work Conference listed technological innovation as the primary focus of national development.
Since the launch of the "Mainland and Hong Kong Joint Funding Program" in April 2019, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and relevant departments of some provinces and cities in the Mainland have successively approved more than RMB 280 million for research and development in universities and R&D institutions in Hong Kong. Project or establish a laboratory.
In an exclusive interview with a reporter from China News Service, Xue Yongheng, Director of the Bureau of Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said that after the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government invested more than 100 billion Hong Kong dollars, the development of Hong Kong's innovation and technology is now in a stage of slowly bearing fruit. The opportunities are not limited to Hong Kong, but to the entire Greater Bay Area. The cities in the Greater Bay Area are like an innovation and technology relay team, and Hong Kong holds the top spot in basic scientific research.
Financial Secretary Chen Maobo said that the preparations for the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone jointly established by Hong Kong and Shenzhen are progressing well.
The science and technology parks on both sides of the Shenzhen River will be an important platform for the International Science and Technology Innovation Center of the Greater Bay Area.
Shenzhen Qianhai, which lives across the river from Hong Kong, is an important platform for cooperation and development in the Greater Bay Area.
The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Carrie Lam, recently disclosed that as of October 2020, there are more than 11,000 Hong Kong-funded enterprises registered in Qianhai, and there are more than 200 Hong Kong entrepreneurial teams incubated by Shenzhen-Hong Kong Qianhai Youth Dream Workshop.
"The Greater Bay Area can be said to be an important opportunity for Hong Kong's future economic development and improvement of people's livelihood." Carrie Lam said, "Our young people are willing to run into mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area. They can be said to have unlimited opportunities."
Carrie Lam’s new "Policy Address" launched the "Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Program", encouraging companies with business in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to hire and send local university graduates to work in cities in the Greater Bay Area. The SAR government will Provide subsidies to participating companies, the subsidy period is up to 18 months, the plan will provide 2,000 positions.
When the epidemic stabilizes and cross-border tourism resumes, the SAR government will subsidize more than a dozen non-governmental organizations to implement youth entrepreneurship programs. It is estimated that about 100 million Hong Kong dollars will be approved to provide funding for nearly 200 youth entrepreneurship and approximately 4,000 youth Provide entrepreneurial support and incubation services.
Although Hong Kong has been shrouded in the shadow of the new crown pneumonia epidemic for the past year, the SAR government is still actively promoting infrastructure and improving the transportation network to facilitate citizens' travel and make freight logistics more efficient.
On December 27th, Hong Kong's first undersea road tunnel, the longest and deepest undersea road tunnel, Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Tunnel, opened. After the opening of the northern connection road, the travel distance between Tuen Mun South and Hong Kong International Airport can be reduced. About 22 kilometers.
Carrie Lam said: "I remember that at the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge two years ago, I witnessed the formation of a one-hour economic life circle in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. The establishment of a quota plan provides an opportunity."
In addition, Lantau Island, as Hong Kong’s "dual gateway" for air and land transportation connecting all parts of the world and cities in the Greater Bay Area, will also have more complete and reliable transportation facilities after the opening of the northern connection road, consolidating Hong Kong as an international and regional transportation Hub status.
In order to cope with the flow of people and logistics between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, on December 10, Shenzhen Bay realized a 24-hour customs clearance service for cargo inspection.
Li Jiachao, Director of the Security Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said that depending on the development of the epidemic situation in the two places, full 24-hour customs clearance of passenger transportation will be promoted as soon as possible.
Prior to August 26, the Liantang/Xiangyuanwei Port was officially opened, adding a new logistics channel in the Greater Bay Area.
The Greater Bay Area, with an area of 56,000 square kilometers and a GDP of US$1.64 trillion (2018 data), reflects the trend of high-quality development in China and will bring unlimited opportunities to many industries in Hong Kong.
"Hong Kong enjoys the advantage of'near the water, get the moon first,' and the central government's consistent support for Hong Kong under'one country, two systems' can inject new impetus into Hong Kong's economic development," said Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.
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