GBA Briefs

Hong Kong: HKUST’s new campus in Guangzhou opens

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s new campus in Guangdong’s provincial capital Guangzhou welcomed its first batch of post-graduate students on Thursday.

It’s offering 15 master’s and doctoral degrees in various fields, including advanced materials, intelligent transportation and microelectronics, with student admissions starting this year. Undergraduate courses, covering artificial intelligence, data science and big data technology, as well as smart manufacturing, will begin in 2023.

Located in the Qingsheng Hub Cluster of Guangzhou’s Nansha district, the campus is the first legally-independent educational institution jointly set up by the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was unveiled in 2019.

Macao: Cross-border esports internships launched

A cross-border internship program aimed at helping Macao youth to gain working experience in the electronic sports industry began online applications on Monday.

The program, co-launched by the authorities in the Macao Special Administrative Region and Zhuhai, is offering 30 internship posts at an esports company in Shanghai. Under professional guidance, Macao interns will be trained in organizing and managing esports events and games broadcast, and attend marketing and human resources courses for three months. Each participant will get a transportation allowance for a Macao-Shanghai round trip, as well as monthly subsidies from the Macao SAR and Zhuhai governments.

Shenzhen: Checkpoint station to link up with intercity rail

The Huanggang Checkpoint Comprehensive Transport Hub in Shenzhen, now under renovation, will be integrated with the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Central Axis Intercity Railway, according to the 14th Five-Year Plan for Futian Transportation released by the municipal transport bureau on Aug 23. Initially, the intercity railway will connect Shenzhen and Dongguan, and will be extended to Guangzhou, Foshan and Huizhou. The project is expected to significantly shorten the travel time from the HKSAR and Shenzhen to other cities in the Greater Bay Area. When fully completed, the revamped checkpoint will be a hub with comprehensive transportation facilities, including intercity railways, metro services and other public transport services.

Zhuhai: Cross-border trade finance assets transfer rolled out

Zhuhai has introduced cross-border transfer of trade finance assets to facilitate renminbi settlement in the Greater Bay Area. The aim is to provide financial support for the integration of market entities with the nation’s “dual circulation” developmental strategy.

The Bank of China Hengqin Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone branch took the initiative to roll out the service. Apart from strengthening trade finance innovation in GBA, the bank’s move lends greater momentum to the region’s financial innovation development.

Compared with existing services, the new amenity covers a wider range, expanding from domestic to international trade, and allowing both the transfer-in and transfer-out of finance assets.

Foshan: First phase of Metro Line 3 to start trial run this year

The first phase of Foshan Metro’s Line 3, which runs from Shunde College Station to Zhen’an Station, is expected to begin a trial run this year. The metro line, covering nearly 70 kilometers, has 38 stations, stretching from Shunde Port Station in the south to Foshan University Station in the north.

Upon completion, the new line will have transfer stations with six other planned metro lines and link up with the intercity high-speed railway. This would allow quick access to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and various railway stations in Guangdong province, forming the backbone of the “The Greater Bay Area on the Track” transportation network.

Huizhou: Residents to try their luck at consumption vouchers

Eligible residents of Huizhou have begun registering online for the second-phase distribution of electronic consumption vouchers.

The vouchers, worth a total 30 million yuan ($4.35 million), will be distributed by means of a lottery draw through UnionPay, the China Construction Bank Lifestyle app and WeChat. Winners will either get coupons with a 40-percent reduction for every 50 yuan, 100 yuan or 200 yuan spent, or a 100-yuan rebate for expenses of up to 300 yuan. The coupons, which will be valid for 10 days, can be used in various business sectors, including catering, cosmetics and travel.

The Huizhou municipal government launched the first phase of the distribution of 30 million yuan worth of consumption vouchers on May 20.

Dongguan: City gets $16 b investment in high-tech industries

Contracts for 72 projects worth nearly 110 billion yuan ($15.9 billion) were signed at the Dongguan Global Investment Promotion Conference held on Aug 26. They covered information technology, high-end equipment manufacturing, new energy and other strategic industries.

The Dongguan authorities said six industrial land plots with a total area of 2.87 square kilometers will be developed to attract investments from leading global enterprises.

Zhongshan: HK-registered medical device gets approval

Zhongshan has approved the city’s first Hong Kong-registered medical device used in public hospitals in the special administrative region since the launch of the Hong Kong and Macao Medicine and Equipment Connect in August 2021.

The Spot Ex endoscopic tattoo creates a permanent tattoo used in colorectal surveillance, offering a new therapeutic option for patients at risk of contracting colon cancer and facilitating clinicians’ surgical localization.

The medical connect, which links the nine mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, allows designated mainland hospitals to use Hong Kong-registered drugs and medical devices, subject to the approval of Guangdong province.

Zhongshan’s designated healthcare institution, Chenxinghai Hospital, has introduced seven drug items and a medical device through the medical connect, providing treatment for eight patients.

Jiangmen: Pact with Macao SAR to promote tourism sector

Tourism associations from Jiangmen and Macao SAR signed an agreement at a conference on cooperation in the industry to build up market brands, and develop the sector to the benefit of both cities.

The aim is to help Jiangmen build high-quality tourism routes with Portuguese-speaking countries and explore global markets. It will also help Macao expand its mainland tourism market.

Participants at the conference discussed the possibility of allowing eligible Macao tour guides to work in Jiangmen. They also discussed preferential policies and subsidies, route design, and online and offline cooperation.

Zhaoqing: Tourism to get boost with homestay business

Zhaoqing signed contracts for 12 high-end brand homestay projects at the second Guangdong Homestay Conference on Aug 19. The projects are estimated to be worth 400 million yuan ($58 million).

Seeing tourism as a major industry for the city’s economic revitalization, Zhaoqing has been vigorously promoting the homestay business with local features in recent years. The city currently has more than 360 registered companies in the homestay business.