HK parties seek easier living on mainland

People from Hong Kong who live on the mainland have long sought easier access to everything from healthcare to shared bicycle services.

In the run-up to the annual Two Sessions in Beijing which start on Saturday, two leading political parties in the special administrative region on Monday unveiled proposals to achieve this.

The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions and the youth wing of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong — the city’s largest political party — released more than 20 proposals. These covered livelihood, career, education and medical treatment issues.

Both parties focused on Hong Kong people having the same rights as their mainland peers in identity document use and career development.

They hope authorities can issue mainland identity cards to Hong Kong people who live there so they can enjoy the convenience of advanced technologies. This includes buying train tickets online and using bicycle-share services.

Another option would be for the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong Residents issued by the Ministry of Public Security to fulfill the same functions as mainland identity documents.

The FTU and Young DAB also suggested exempting Hong Kong people from the work permit currently required for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao residents. Applicants have to wait a long time for approval. This may actually reduce their chances to obtain a position.

The parties also tabled proposals to make movement in the Guangdong-Hong KongMacao Greater Bay Area easier, including canceling roaming charges for telecoms services between Hong Kong and the mainland.

Other proposals included letting Hong Kong people participate in the social medical insurance scheme on the mainland, providing tax discounts within the Greater Bay Area and expanding mutual recognition of academic degrees.

The upcoming Two Sessions — the annual plenary meetings of the National People’s Congress and the nation’s top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — will officially begin on March 3.

Following President Xi Jinping’s pledge to introduce more measures to benefit Hong Kong people on the mainland during his visit last July for the SAR’s 20th anniversary, the central government announced two sets of initiatives.

The measures granted Hong Kong people equal rights in public education, a housing provident fund and work-related documents on the mainland.