NEARLY 10,000 talents from mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) had traveled to Hong Kong with the exit endorsement for talents as end of 2023, Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government Tang Ping-keung said Wednesday.

Tang said in a meeting at the Legislative Council of the HKSAR that the HKSAR Government has been in close discussion with the mainland on the facilitation measures to promote the “southbound and northbound” flow of high-end talents in the GBA.

In February 2023, the mainland introduced the “southbound” exit endorsement for talents, facilitating the travel of six categories of GBA mainland talents, Tang said.

Among those who had traveled to Hong Kong with the exit endorsement, there were 347 talents under the “outstanding” category with exit endorsement valid for five years, 5,872 talents in the fields of scientific research, education or healthcare with exit endorsement valid for three years, and 3,739 talents under legal and other category with endorsement valid for one year, Tang said.

(Xinhua)