Civil Service Staff Exchange and Collaboration Programme with GBA Mainland municipalities officially launched (with photos)
18.12.2023

The Civil Service Staff Exchange and Collaboration Programme, jointly organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Mainland municipalities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), was launched in Shenzhen today (December 18). It signifies the official start of the exchange, spanning about three months, for the first batch of Hong Kong civil servants in Shenzhen. The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Director General of the Organization Department of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee, Mr Cheng Buyi; and the Director General of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the People's Government of Guangdong Province, Ms Li Huanchun, officiated at the launch ceremony. The Permanent Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Clement Leung, and the Director General of the HKMAO of the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, Mr Jiang Likun, were also present. Addressing the ceremony, Mrs Yeung said that the HKSAR Government attaches great importance to the training and exchange on the Mainland for Hong Kong civil servants. It is to deepen their understanding of the national policy directions, development trends, and history and culture, so as to solidify their sense of national identity and patriotism. It also serves to let them exchange experience and insights with civil servants in Mainland cities and to draw reference from each other, with a view to applying their valuable exposure and experience to their work in Hong Kong in the future, and contributing to the steadfast and successful implementation of "one country, two systems". She pointed out that the development of the GBA is a significant national strategy, and Hong Kong's civil service plays a crucial role in promoting its development. Therefore, the HKSAR Government and the Guangdong Provincial Government signed the Agreement on Civil Service Staff Exchange and Collaboration Programme with the Mainland municipalities in the GBA in September this year, establishing exchange activities with the Mainland municipalities in the GBA. The first batch of participants begins their exchange in Shenzhen starting today, set to last for around three months. Mrs Yeung said that Hong Kong and Shenzhen enjoy close ties across a wide range of areas. With its thriving social and economic development, Shenzhen stands as a vital base for high-technology research, development and manufacturing. This exchange will enable Hong Kong civil servants to have a deeper understanding of the development of Shenzhen, thereby better complementing the GBA's development strategy. Mrs Yeung expressed her gratitude to the HKMAO of the State Council, the HKMAO of the Guangdong Provincial Government and the HKMAO of the Shenzhen Municipal Government for their support for the programme. She also set forth three expectations for the participants: first, to integrate their learning from the exchange with the situation in Hong Kong and apply it to their future work; second, to seize opportunities for networking and establish connections with their Shenzhen counterparts; and third, to effectively fulfil their roles as goodwill ambassadors for Hong Kong. She hoped that the participants will play an active role in future co-operation between the two places. The 10 participating middle and senior-level civil servants came from eight departments and grades, including the Administrative Officer Grade, the Executive Officer Grade, the Environmental Protection Department, the Highways Department, the Innovation and Technology Commission, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, the Planning Department and the Transport Department. They have been assigned to different government departments in Futian and Qianhai to engage in in-depth exchanges in areas such as district management, technology development, town planning, transportation and environmental protection. Under the co-ordination of the HKMAO of the State Council, the Civil Service Bureau has organised the Civil Service Staff Exchange Programme jointly with a number of Mainland municipalities since 2002. Under the programme, officers from Hong Kong and the Mainland are attached to each other's side to share experience and expertise so as to better understand each other's structure, regulations, policy, operation, etc, to foster co-operation and communication and gain first-hand experience of the host city's latest developments.