HONG KONG - Taiwan residents with Mainland entry permits may visit Hong Kong for up to 30 days, up from just seven, without applying for any endorsement from Sept 1, Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang said here Wednesday.

Tsang, who is also Honorary Chairperson of the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic and Cultural Co-operation and Promotion Council, made the remarks Wednesday at the second joint meeting of the council and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council.

The Hong Kong government is working on detailed arrangements to allow Taiwan residents to make prior entry registration online, he said, adding this would bolster Hong Kong-Taiwan exchanges.

He said progress had been achieved in trade, food safety, travel, financial and transportation between the two places even though the two councils had only been established for a year.