The new Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals, delivered in February and scheduled to be implemented from July, contains active measures to attract more mainland businessmen to set up business in Hong Kong, and allows Hong Kong to enlarge the pool of the talent needed to meet the requirements of a knowledge-based economy.

Under the scheme, various past schemes relating to the hiring of mainland employees to work in Hong Kong will be consolidated and streamlined into a single, comprehensive policy.

In the meeting, Legislative Councilors agreed that Hong Kong has to attract the best and brightest from all over the world. This includes, of course, the populous and fast-developing mainland.

They also advised that mainland businessmen make greater use of the current multiple visit permit system in coming to Hong Kong to look for investment opportunities.

The scheme is welcomed by all walks of life, especially business sector longing for talents to reinforce their competitiveness. They hope the government would actively promotes this new policy to help Hong Kong compete with others for the top talents for the sake of its development in the long run.

(Xinhua News Agency April 5, 2003)