Guangdong Province and Hong Kong have stepped even closer together with a number of new agreements that will propel economic development and create job opportunities in both places.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa meets Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua in Hong Kong on August 5, 2003. [newsphoto.com.cn]

Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua said this yesterday after arriving in Hong Kong for a major conference between the two sides.

The sixth meeting of Hong Kong/Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference took place on Tuesday. A consensus was reached on the roles both sides would play in taking advantage of their respective strengths.

The two sides also agreed to expand co-operation in areas including tourism, infrastructure co-ordination, infectious-disease notification and overseas promotion of the region.

"The various agreements will help ease Hong Kong's economic and employment problems," Liu Shanzai, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, said yesterday after meeting the Guangdong governor.

Liu spoke highly of the achievements made by the high-level Guangdong delegation during the joint conference and hailed a new chapter of co-operation between the two places.

The Guangdong governor paid courtesy calls to a number of local organizations and business guilds yesterday.

He first visited the liaison office and met its director Gao Siren.

He then visited the Federation of Hong Kong, Guangdong Community Organizations and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber President Tsang Hin-chi said the agreements reached at the joint conference are a shot in the arm for the Hong Kong economy and reflect the central government's support.

He asked the business community to seize the opportunities provided by the central and Guangdong authorities.

The governor also met members of the Democratic Alliance for Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) and the business community later in the day.

During the photo-call session, DAB Chairman Tsang Yok-sing said his party was pleased that the individual travellers scheme had been extended to the whole province. The DAB hoped this would be extended to the whole country.

Huang said earlier the scheme would likely push the number of mainland tourists to Hong Kong from 6 million last year to 10 million.

Tsang also quoted the governor as saying that from January 1, 2004, national treatment will be offered to Hong Kong businessmen.

Under the privilege, those who want to start retail businesses in Guangdong no longer need to find a mainland partner. They will also be offered one-stop services for opening a business in the province.

Editor: Liao Ming