Proposals floated to make it easier for Hong Kong people to live and work in ‘Greater Bay Area’
DAB party wants Hongkongers to be allowed to apply for mainland Chinese government jobs and secure identity cards from there
The pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) also suggested that Hongkongers working in the bay area could be allowed to pay salaries tax in the mainland at the much lower Hong Kong rate.
Can China’s ‘Greater Bay Area’ match its New York and San Francisco counterparts? Much will depend on Beijing
The Greater Bay Area concept is a major policy initiative by Premier Li Keqiang to create a world-class technology hub based on the further integration of Hong Kong, Macau and nine Guangdong cities.
“The idea of an identity card for Kong Kong people who live and work in the Greater Bay Area would be like foreigners working in Hong Kong getting a Hong Kong ID card. It will be on a voluntary basis and is intended to make living there more convenient,” party chairwoman and lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king said.
Blueprint for Greater Bay Area development plan could come as soon as September
Currently, Hong Kong people use their home return permit as an identity document when they travel to the mainland, but it is not accepted for a lot of services including electronic payments.
“There are difficulties with WeChat payments and opening bank accounts. But if they have an identity card, it will be easier,” Lee said.
She rejected suggestions there would be any confusion over identity. “If a Hong Kong resident has a home return permit, he or she is already a Chinese citizen,” Lee said.
