the hong kong/shenzhen co-operation meeting was held in hong kong on monday, with a government fund of hk$2 billion (us$257 million) set aside by the hong kong government to bring in venture capital from shenzhen to support technology startups in hong kong, the southern metropolis daily reported yesterday.
carrie lam, chief secretary for the administration of the hong kong government, said during a press conference that cross-border cooperation between hong kong and shenzhen this year will focus on innovation and technology. shenzhen mayor xu qin also attended the meeting.
the innovation and technology venture fund was announced by hong kong's chief executive leung chun-ying in his policy address in january. the government will make joint investments with private venture funds in startup projects in hong kong, with the government paying one-third of the investment.
according to monday's meeting, the initiative will facilitate private venture funds from cities on the chinese mainland, including shenzhen.
the shenzhen computer user association and hong kong information technology joint council signed an agreement last year to increase exchanges of people working in the technology sector in both cities. the results of the agreement will be announced in the first half of the year.
according to the meeting, nine law firms co-founded by shenzhen and hong kong lawyers have been approved to operate in shenzhen as of january, with six of them based in the qianhai area. the joint operation of law firms, which currently exists in a pilot area in shenzhen, will be allowed throughout the whole city starting june 1. the firms provide cross-border legal services to businesses.
the hong kong health department and the university of hong kong-shenzhen hospital signed a cooperative agreement in october last year, allowing some elderly hong kongers to use their hong kong-issued health care vouchers at the hospital.
currently, each elderly hong kong person gets hk$2,000 for health care each year. hong kong hopes to make the vouchers valid in more cities on the chinese mainland this year.
meanwhile, hong kong and shenzhen will increase the number of sister schools in both cities to 190 pairs over the coming three years. primary and middle schools can become sister schools.
the number of cross-border school buses will be raised to 220 this year, 30 percent more than that last year.
