A new direction: Guangdong Province Governor Huang Huahua and Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa meet at the 6th Hong Kong, Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference. Both sides agreed to set up an extended mechanism for future co-operation.

The State Council has agreed on the commencement of preparatory work for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

It has also agreed on the establishment of a Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Preparatory Work Co-ordination Group comprising representatives from Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong to commence preparatory work. 

The proposed construction of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge took a major step forward today with an agreement to launch the Co-ordination Group to examine the advance works of the project.

Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said the Group will study the hydrology, environmental protection, economic benefits and routing of the bridge. All costs incurred will be shouldered equally by the three jurisdictions.

The Group, which will be convened by the Hong Kong side and comprise three representatives from each jurisdiction, will hold its first meeting on August 30. Results of the study will be submitted to the Central Government.

The Hong Kong, Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference held its sixth meeting at Government House today. The delegations were led by Mr Tung and Guangdong Province Governor Huang Huahua.

Mr Tung said the bridge will be crucial for Hong Kong's future development and it is important to undertake the advance works as soon as possible.

There will also be enhanced co-operation on tourism between Hong Kong and Guangdong. Mr Huang said that from August 20, the pilot scheme enabling individual citizens from the province to visit Hong Kong will be extended to Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai.

Hopefully, the scheme will be further extended to the whole province from January 2004, he said.

The scheme, launched July 28 for residents of Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen and Foshan, has been well received.

Both Mr Tung and Mr Huang hailed today's meeting as a success, with consensus reached and new direction laid on many fronts of co-operation between the two jurisdictions.

Mr Tung said both parties agreed to establish a new mechanism for co-operation and operation. A joint liaison office to be formed under the conference will be chaired by executive heads of the two jurisdictions, namely Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang and Guangdong's Vice-Governor Tang Bingquan.

They will re-organise existing task forces on Hong Kong and Guangdong co-operation into 15 expert groups to study and follow up co-operation projects. They will serve as an extended mechanism for exchange of ideas between both jurisdictions.

Mr Huang added that both sides agreed to be far-sighted and pragmatic in their way forward and co-operation.

Within the framework of CEPA, both sides have a vision of the future Greater Pearl River Delta being the most dynamic and competitive economic region in the world.  Guangdong will become a manufacturing base, and Hong Kong a logistics and financial centre.

Co-operation in 17 servicing and trading areas under CEPA will be strengthened to facilitate Hong Kong enterprises wanting to operate in Guangdong.