Lin Difu, Executive President of the Council for the Promotion of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation

“We should well develop the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and furthermore make the area a hub for Belt and Road Initiative,” said Lin Difu, Executive President of the Council for the Promotion of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation, when accepting Nanfang Media Group’s exclusive interview.

At present Guangdong is sparing no efforts to construct the Greater Bay Area together with Hong Kong and Macao SARs. Apart from the cooperation at the governmental level, cooperation at the non-governmental level has been always frequent and enthusiastic, which is the reason of the birth of the Council as early as in 2009.

During the past nearly 10 years, sundry events and campaigns have been organized to promote people-to-people connections among three places. Moreover, the council has devoted itself to combining three places’ strengths and explore markets in countries alongside the Belt and Road.

Chinese Version please click here 

Planning: Xie Sijia, Tang Lina, Wu Zhe, He Jingwen

Reporters: Wang Biao, Lu Fei, Hu Nan

Video: Zhou Xinyu

Photography: Lu Fei

Film-editor: Zhou Xinyu

English editor: Zhang Ying, Simon Haywood

Combining advantages to seek international market

Newsgd: How can we encourage enterprises in three places to explore international market together?

Lin: We organize entrepreneurs and professionals in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to explore business opportunities in countries along the Belt and Road. If someone is interested in our local projects, lawyers can provide legal consultancy, and accountants can give advice on local tax laws. Professional advice Is provided on the spot. Hong Kong and Macao have advanced professional services.

This is a new project that has emerged over the last three or four years. We made three visits to countries along the belt and road. For the first time we went to 10 ASEAN countries, Israel for the second time and Spain and Portugal too this year.

Connecting companies and government

Newsgd: What is the function of the Council for the Promotion of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation?

Lin: As a platform for exchange, the Council for the Promotion of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation devotes itself to bridging the gaps between and promoting development in these three places.

We serve as a bridge in many respects, for instance, in communicating the terms of the governmental policies, including tax and labor. We are very energetic in delivering the opinions of various companies to the government, and help the government in modifying certain policies.

Apart from inviting representatives from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, we have also established 6 professional committees in the fields of finance, IT, accounting, culture and communication, medicine and health, as well as fashion. We are expanding the areas of exchange, and will establish more professional committees in education, law and other fields.

Encouraging exchanges among young people

Newsgd: how to provide the youth in the Greater Bay Area with a better social environment in which to chase their dreams?

Lin: Some of our projects are targeted specifically at youth. Firstly, we will hold the annual cultural summit for the youth in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, acting as a carrier for cultural exchange among these youths. This has aroused the great interest of the youth of Hong Kong, and they are enthusiastic about the chance to participate.

Secondly, together with Guangdong’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, every year we organize for university students from Hong Kong to take on internships in the mainland.

Thirdly, we provide opportunities and platforms in Guangdong. The IT Professional Committee established the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao sci-tech exhibition center in Foshan’s Nanhai District. The center works as a platform for Hong Kong and Macao youth to communicate with other young people in Guangdong and deepen their understanding of the mainland. They can bring their new ideas and projects here to look for opportunities and investment.