Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak arrived in Guangzhou today to start her visit there.

Miss Mak met Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province (GDHKMAO) Director Chen Li-wen in the morning to discuss the joint promotion of youth development in Guangdong and Hong Kong.

She shared with Ms Chen the vision and direction of the Youth Development Blueprint as well as the progress of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's work in youth development, saying that the Home & Youth Affairs Bureau will work closely with the GDHKMAO to offer comprehensive support to youth development.

In the afternoon, Miss Mak attended a sharing session on Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area youth innovation and entrepreneurship. During the event, she said that the Hong Kong SAR Government encourages youngsters of Hong Kong to seize the opportunities brought by the development of the bay area and develop a business there.

About 50 members of the Youth Link, who are participating in exchange activities in Guangzhou, joined the sharing session to interact with the speakers and gather information on living and developing careers in the GBA.

The home affairs chief then visited the Human Resources & Social Security Department of Guangdong Province and met its Director-General Du Minqi. They exchanged views on encouraging Hong Kong youth to start businesses in the bay area and strengthening collaboration between youth innovation and entrepreneurship bases in the province and Hong Kong.

While giving Mr Du an update of the Funding Scheme for Youth Entrepreneurship in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area under the Youth Development Fund, she stated that the bureau will work closely with the province’s Human Resources & Social Security Department to promote youth innovation and entrepreneurship.

In the evening, Miss Mak and Youth Link members met representatives of the Hong Kong's chambers of commerce in Guangdong to learn about their living and working conditions on the Mainland.

She encouraged young people to grasp the opportunities to study, conduct exchanges and start a business on the Mainland, so as to enhance their understanding of the development of the country and contribute to the country and Hong Kong.