Longer visas for Hong Kong visits a ‘catalyst’ for producing world-class science and tech hubs, experts say
- Outstanding researchers in Beijing and Shanghai among those set to benefit from policies announced on Sunday by National Immigration Administration
- From May 6, they can apply for multi‑entry visas ranging in length from one to five years for stays in Hong Kong and Macau of up to 30 days each time
Outstanding researchers in science and technology, innovation, and education in Beijing and Shanghai are among those set to benefit from policies announced by the National Immigration Administration on Sunday that aim to boost cross-border collaboration.
From May 6, they can apply for multi‑entry visas ranging in length from one to five years for stays in Hong Kong and Macau of up to 30 days each time, longer than the normal seven-day period for other types of exit endorsements.
Hong Kong, Macau business visa length doubled to 2 weeks per trip for mainlanders
A multi‑entry visa pilot scheme implemented in February last year applies to talent only in the bay area, a central government blueprint to turn Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in neighbouring Guangdong province into a hi-tech and economic powerhouse.
Lawmaker William Wong Kam-fai, also a veteran engineering scholar at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said it could take two to three months for first-time applicants in Beijing and Shanghai to go through procedures needed by their working unit and local authorities before getting a seven-day business visa to the city.
“The policy change will significantly simplify the process, motivating leading mainland scholars to make their trips to Hong Kong more often,” he said on Monday.
“This will serve as an effective catalyst in enhancing the interconnectivity among China’s major innovation clusters.”
According to the Global Innovation Index, published last September by the Geneva-headquartered World Intellectual Property Organisation, China has three of the five biggest science and technology clusters.
Yokohama, a Japanese city south of Tokyo, has the largest cluster, followed by the Greater Bay Area, Seoul, Beijing and Shanghai-Suzhou.
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Wong, also the vice-chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance of Technology and Innovation, said he expected that over time, intensified collaboration would drive China’s three clusters to evolve into influential, world-class science and tech hubs.
Beijing and Shanghai boast elite institutions including Peking, Tsinghua and Fudan universities, which have been home to dozens of key state laboratories. The two cities are also home to the headquarters of the country’s top unicorn companies, with ByteDance in Beijing and Xiaohongshu in Shanghai.
Hsu Hoi-shan, president of the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, said the policy would encourage local universities to invite mainland scholars for longer teaching periods, and deepen participation in joint research projects locally.
Both Hsu and Wong were in Beijing attending the annual Zhongguancun Forum, a high-level event focused on future-oriented industries and innovation ecosystems.
Hsu said he was impressed by a recent visit to Huairou Science City in northeast Beijing which houses interdisciplinary research institutions and innovation start-ups.
Hsu said he and Hong Kong scholars visiting Beijing recognised the critical importance of enhancing collaborations within the country’s innovation ecosystems to stay competitive internationally.
“Hong Kong can’t just keep its nose to the grindstone. We have to strengthen ties with the capital to help Chinese technologies go overseas,” said Hsu, whose group organises seminars and provides subsidies for overseas exchanges.
Another highlight among the range of measures announced on Sunday was an extension to the length of stay for mainland business visa holders to Hong Kong and Macau. The maximum seven-day period per trip will be doubled to 14 days.
Mainlanders will soon be able to submit applications for one-off entry business visas at designated counters of 3,400 institutions managed by public security branches across the country, rather than through local offices where they live. They can also apply for multiple-entry ones through “smart visa facilities” at those sites.
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On Monday, the Immigration Department was unable to provide recent data on the number of mainland business visa holders arriving in Hong Kong over the past five years. But it shared earlier figures which indicated that the number ranged from 1.1 million to 1.3 million between 2015 and 2019.
Wingco Lo, president of the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong, said doubling the stay period would encourage mainland companies with overseas connections to set up business meetings in Hong Kong.
“For overseas businesspeople who face challenges obtaining visas to enter the mainland, they may now have more incentives to ask their mainland counterparts to meet in Hong Kong for business negotiations when the application procedure for mainlanders becomes easier,” he said.
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce CEO Patrick Yeung Wai-tim said the measure effectively addressed the needs of the business sector and the timing could not be more opportune as the city would host the Global Talent Summit on May 7 to 8.
“Any enhancements that promote the smooth flow of resources, including human capital, are undeniably beneficial for the Hong Kong economy,” he said.
