'Equal footing' given to HK service firms

Most Hong Kong service provide rs can expect to receive the same treatment as companies from the Chinese mainland when they start businesses in Guangdong province, according to a new agreement under the framework of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement signed on Thursday.

Guangdong, for the first time, will adopt a "negative list" that covers 134 service sub-sectors. It lists 132 measures as exceptions for Hong Kong service providers when it comes to receiving the same treatment as domestic companies.

The mainland has opened up 153 service trade sub-sectors to providers from Hong Kong, accounting for 95.6 percent of all the service trade sub-sectors in Guangdong.