Guangdong helps to connect Bay Area rules

Guangdong province is accelerating the connection of rules, regulations and mechanisms with the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions to further promote the deep and integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Zhu Wei, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, told a news conference in Guangzhou, the provincial capital, on Monday that promoting the integration of rules and regulations in the Bay Area is a key but difficult step in deepening all-around connectivity.

Describing it as a long-term systematic project, he said progress has been made on the integration of rules and mechanisms with the two SARs in recent years.

She Qiongsheng, chief judge of the Fourth Civil Division of the Guangdong High People's Court, said the first judicial guidance on commercial disputes involving Hong Kong and Macao issued by the court promoted respect for the autonomy of the parties involved and expanded the range of legal solutions that could be chosen.

As long as they do not violate the basic principles of national laws, enterprises with funding from Hong Kong or Macao that are registered in the Hengqin, Qianhai and Nansha pilot free trade zones can negotiate and choose extraterritorial laws to resolve their contract disputes, She said.

Chinese mainland courts can also confirm the evidentiary validity of official documents produced by Hong Kong and Macao courts, arbitration institutions and government agencies, he said.

When handling commercial cases involving Hong Kong and Macao, they may submit litigation documents to Hong Kong and Macao parties in a manner that complies with Hong Kong or Macao laws or practices, he said.

"We will continue to introduce guidelines for the connection of judicial rules between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and continuously promote the connection mechanism of judicial rules and mechanism in the three regions," She said.

Sun Zutong, commissar of the traffic management bureau at the Guangdong Provincial Department of Public Security, said the bureau has worked with related departments to enable drivers and car owners from Hong Kong and Macao to use both mainland and SAR cards and payment apps to pay highway and bridge tolls in Guangdong.

Efforts are also underway to upgrade parking facilities in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai to recognize license plates from Hong Kong and Macao.

Over 320,000 drivers from the SARs have obtained their mainland driver's licenses without needing to take a test.

Wei Wentao, a spokesman for the Guangdong provincial government service data management bureau, said the bureau has launched the construction of a "Digital GBA" to promote the effective connection of rules and mechanisms through digitization.