China's rapid development has brought great opportunities to young people in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and more and more of them have decided to chase their dreams in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), according to Chan Chung-bun, a deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) from the HKSAR.

Chan, who is also chairman of a management company in Hong Kong, has long been involved in Hong Kong's public affairs and concerned about the development of local young people.

Chan said he has found that promoting Hong Kong youth to study and work on the mainland has not only improved their professional learning, but also facilitated their integration into the national development drive and further enhanced their sense of national identity and belonging to the country.

He put forward suggestions on promoting the exchange of talents in the GBA during the first session of the 13th NPC in 2018, offering practical ideas on creating opportunities for talent exchanges and attracting competent professionals from Hong Kong.

"The innovation of systems and mechanisms, promotion of the highly-efficient and convenient flow of people, logistics, capital and information and optimized allocation of resources are key to boost the development of the GBA," Chan said.

He suggested that reliable accommodation service as well as supporting facilities and policies be provided to encourage talent flow in the area.

In detail, Chan put forward specific advice on opening opportunities for talent exchanges, offering tax incentives, streamlining procedures for talent flow, and expanding the scope of mutual recognition of professional qualifications between the mainland and Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council conferred on Chan’s suggestions with the State Taxation Administration, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

In response, the central authorities said that the various obstacles affecting the flow of production, such as brainpower, will be continuously removed, and active efforts will be made to promote the implementation of relevant policies to enhance talent exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao. The rules of the social security system will also be adjusted to free up space for negotiations with relevant departments and institutions in Hong Kong and Macao.

The effective connection of social welfare and public services between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will open new space for and inject new impetus into Hong Kong's development, promoting the high-quality growth of the national economy and bringing new benefits to residents in the GBA, according to the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

Chan, the NPC deputy, was pleased to see that his suggestions had been adopted. He expressed his hope that more policies and measures conducive to the development of Hong Kong and Macao residents on the mainland will be introduced to encourage the flow of qualified personnel, in a bid to build the GBA into a leading bay area in the world.