New jewel in the crown for SARs

Preferential policies

More than 2,700 Hong Kong and Macao enterprises were registered in Nansha last year, with the total value of investment amounting to $117 billion.

Mao stressed the importance of absorbing talent for Nansha to become a high-quality urban development landmark. Although the number of residents in Nansha has grown considerably in the past decade, he said the district's population still needs to be raised. According to official data, there were 846,600 permanent residents in Nansha as of 2020 - up by more than 200 percent from a decade ago.

To attract more Hong Kong and Macao talents to settle down in Nansha, the district government introduced 10 new measures on June 30 - two weeks after the Nansha development plan was unveiled. The authorities said the measures are among the most preferential nationwide and are aimed at providing comprehensive support for new residents in various aspects, including employment, career development, housing and medical care.

Under the policy, young people from Hong Kong and Macao who choose to work in Nansha will each receive a one-off employment subsidy of up to 120,000 yuan and an additional monthly wage allowance of up to 5,000 yuan for three consecutive years. Companies set up by Hong Kong and Macao youths in Nansha will be granted a maximum of 4.5 million yuan in bonuses and subsidies within three years.

The district will also offer no fewer than 1,000 intern posts and at least 2 million yuan in internship subsidies annually to prepare youths for taking up jobs there.

In the latest supportive move for professionals, Nansha granted certificates to 16 talented engineers from Hong Kong and Macao in late July to work on the mainland. The first such professionals from the two SARs to obtain mainland certificates, they will be subject to the same standards and treatment as their mainland counterparts as they carry out construction projects.

"Nansha has provided a range of support for entrepreneurs from Hong Kong and Macao, including living and transport subsidies, as well as accommodation for professionals, greatly reducing the cost of starting a business," said Chris Lee Pak-hang, founder of Guangzhou Bojing Cultural Ltd.

Lee, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, started his enterprise in Nansha late last year after mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area launched a string of preferential policies. He believes Nansha is best fit for developing his business.

Lee's company focuses on teaching children traditional Chinese costume design, and the production of related products. He hopes that what he's doing could promote children's understanding of traditional Chinese culture.

But he doesn't plan to limit his operations to the domestic market. "With the gradual increase in production capacity, we hope to bring our cultural products and traditional Chinese culture to the world."

"Nansha has developed trade infrastructure and easy access to raw materials on the mainland. This will save our operating costs and make it easier for us to go international," Lee said.

Gao Min, general director of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, said the appeal of Nansha's technology and innovation system is attributed partly to its support for both startups and talent. Located in Nansha, the institute is an important platform for HKUST to transform its scientific and technological achievements on the mainland.

"For example, when an entrepreneurial team from Hong Kong or Macao sets up an office in Nansha, not only can the startup enjoy preferential policies from the local government, Hong Kong and Macao members of the team can also apply for generous talent subsidies, which provide strong reserves for their initial funds," Gao said.

According to Gao, a growing number of professionals are heading for Nansha because of its rapid development. The Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao (International) Youth Entrepreneurship Hub - an entrepreneurship and innovation base jointly set up by the Nansha district government and the institute - had attracted more than 50 startups and entrepreneurial teams as of July.

"As more cooperative projects between the mainland and the two SARs take root in Nansha, integrated development in the Greater Bay Area is set to scale new heights."