GBA briefs

Hong Kong

Nonlocal construction workers in line for jobs

Hong Kong began accepting applications from nonlocal workers on Monday under the city's labor importation programs aimed at easing the acute shortage of manpower in a range of sectors.

The first round of a program for the construction sector will see 12,000 workers, including skilled laborers and technicians, hired from outside of the city. The processing of applications will take about two months, and the first batch of imported workers is expected to arrive in the special administrative region in the last quarter of this year.

Macao

Tourism management course held for officials

Seven government officials - from Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Angola, and Sao Tome and Principe - concluded a 13-day exchange course on tourism management in the Macao Special Administrative Region on July 11.

The officials attended various workshops and briefings, as well as the 11th Macao International Travel (Industry) Expo, held from June 30 through July 2. They introduced their countries' tourism products to visitors at the fair, saying the course has deepened their understanding of Macao's tourism industry, and promoted tourism cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and regions.

Guangzhou

Second 'fund of funds' of 200 billion yuan set up

Guangzhou established its second "fund of funds" of 200 billion yuan ($27.7 billion) earlier this month. The fund, which is a pooled investment fund for investing in other types of funds, will focus on investments in various fields in Guangzhou and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. The investments will focus on transportation, energy, municipal administration, logistics, parks, affordable rental housing, water conservancy, etc.

The Guangdong provincial capital saw its first 200 billion yuan "fund of funds" established in February.

Shenzhen

City sees spike in HK visitors on weekends

Shenzhen-Hong Kong cross-city shopping sprees have sprung back to life following the full resumption of normal travel between the Chinese mainland and the special administrative region. Hong Kong visitors have been omnipresent at Shenzhen's shopping malls, restaurants and commercial districts, carrying bulks of goods on weekends.

Fueled by a program that has allowed eligible Hong Kong private cars to travel between the SAR and Guangdong province via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge since July 1, Shenzhen has seen a huge influx of Hong Kong travelers. According to official statistics, the number of Hong Kong residents entering Shenzhen climbed to 150,745 one Saturday earlier this month.

Zhuhai

Plans unveiled to support youth employment in GBA

Zhuhai has drawn up an action plan with 10 measures to promote the employment of graduates and encourage local enterprises to attract more young professionals to the city, such as increasing the supply of jobs and expanding employment channels.

The plan also aims to enrich employment opportunities for young people from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and provide stronger support for entrepreneurship.

Foshan

Monthly salary offering of second quarter ranks 17th

Zhaopin - a leading job recruitment platform on the Chinese mainland - has issued its salary report for the second quarter of this year, showing the pay scales of various enterprises in 38 major cities across the country. According to the report, the average monthly salary offered by companies in Foshan was 9,693 yuan ($1,343), ranking 17th among the cities surveyed - a slight decline from 9,714 yuan and 15th place in the first three months.

The report shows that the average salary in the 38 cities has seen a seasonal increase of 1.6 percent to 10,266 yuan per month, compared with the first three months of this year.

Huizhou

Manufacturing sector's first skills contest organized

The first vocational-skills competition in Huizhou's manufacturing sector kicked off on July 15. The three-day event, organized by the Huizhou human resources and social security bureau and the Huizhou Technician Institute, focused on 21 categories, including electronic information, automotive technology, and advanced manufacturing.

About 780 people competed for the first, second and third prizes, along with excellence awards, in various categories. The winners were crowned "Huizhou technical experts".

Dongguan

'World's factory' wins 'Toys Capital' crown

Dongguan, dubbed the "world's factory", has become the first city in the country to be awarded the title of "Toys Capital" in recognition of its strength and achievements in the toys manufacturing industry.

The title will be awarded by the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association at the four-day 13th China International Animation Expo, being held in Dongguan through July 23.

A quarter of the world's animation derivatives and nearly 85 percent of the toys manufactured in China are from Dongguan. The city is home to 4,000 toymakers, with another 1,500 companies involved in the supply chain.

Zhongshan

Properties snapped up by Hong Kong buyers

The implementation of the northbound travel program for private Hong Kong vehicles has fueled a buying frenzy among residents from the special administration region, who are buying up properties in Zhongshan.

Local online media reported on July 15 that nearly 70 residential units in Zhongshan's 108 real estate programs had been sold to Hong Kong customers, the majority of whom were seeking homes to live in or for retirement purposes, according to a property manager.

More than 100 units of those programs are being sold each month, with Hong Kong buyers accounting for 70 to 80 percent of the total sales, the report said.

According to a survey among 2,004 Hong Kong respondents, conducted by Hong Kong social warfare organizations, Zhongshan is the most popular city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area for them to retire.

Jiangmen

Drama staged to tell past stories of overseas Chinese

The Jiangmen Wuyi Museum of Overseas Chinese brought the recitation drama Qiaopi China to the stage along with historical relics on July 14, telling visitors animated and accessible stories about the struggles and endeavors of overseas Chinese, offering an immersive experience for those who fought for their livelihoods in the past.

Originating in the 1820s and used for 150 years, qiaopi is the name given in Chinese to letters written home by Chinese emigrants that accompany remittances. Their key function was to preserve family ties.

The museum's program is designed to turn the drama into several situation comedies and present them through relevant cultural relics and oral explanations along compelling storylines.

Zhaoqing

Technical committee on new-energy vehicle set up

A Guangdong provincial metrology technical committee on new-energy vehicles was established in Zhaoqing on July 12.

The committee, co-founded by the South China University of Technology, the Guangdong Institute of Metrology, and leading automakers on the Chinese mainland, aims to further improve the technical measurement system in new-energy vehicles, and provide technical support for the development of new-energy vehicles, manufacturing, testing and after-sales services. The committee's setup is expected to lure more high-quality new-energy vehicle manufacturers to Guangdong province, especially Zhaoqing.