A political adviser suggested that immigration departments in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area issue a Bay Area Card, with which individuals can conveniently participate in academic and business exchanges.
At a political adviser workshop held at Shenzhen Book City CBD Store on Sunday, Hong Weimin, Hong Kong affairs liaison officer with Qianhai Administration Bureau, said it is becoming more convenient for those in Hong Kong and Macao to cross the border to work in Shenzhen, but foreign professionals need work visas, which have a validity of three years at most for each endorsement. They also can’t use e-lanes for entry.
“We need global talents to work in the Greater Bay Area, so the Bay Area Cards will facilitate people-to-people exchanges in the area,” Hong suggested.
Hong also gave suggestions on leveraging industrial advantages and the city’s internationalization.
“In Japan, enterprises collaborate with universities by sharing their requirements and demands for research. But in China, university researchers conduct researches before transforming their achievements for the market,” said Hong. This practice results in supply failing to meet demand, Hong added.
“Shenzhen is an exception. The city’s technological development is driven by industries. In this respect, Shenzhen should take the lead in promoting collaboration between industry, research and education, especially cooperation with Hong Kong, to be complementary with each other,” Hong suggested.
Regarding the degree of internationalization and attractiveness to global talents, Shenzhen lags behind Hong Kong, Hong said. He suggested Shenzhen put more effort into attracting global talents by taking Silicon Valley as the benchmark.