Recommendations for the "15th Five-Year Plan" propose advancing the construction of major cross-regional and cross-basin transport corridors and strengthening regional infrastructure connectivity. During this year's National Two Sessions, Li Minbin, Deputy Director of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Social and Legal Affairs and Co-CEO of Bank of East Asia, put forward suggestions regarding the promotion of public service integration within the Greater Bay Area.

Li Minbin noted that the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is progressing steadily, with increasing frequency and depth of exchanges between Guangdong and Hong Kong residents. Traveling north for consumption has become a trend among Hong Kong citizens, and a growing number are settling in mainland cities, particularly within the Guangdong Greater Bay Area, for employment or retirement reasons. This has created new demands for interconnected public services, including healthcare, elderly care, and housing. He believes this represents a significant opportunity for the Greater Bay Area to leverage complementary advantages, driven by both policy and market forces, to achieve synergistic effects and accelerate socio-economic integration.

Regarding the current state of public service integration in the Greater Bay Area, Li Minbin highlighted several challenges. In healthcare, medical services are the most prominent issue for Hong Kong residents living on the mainland. Patient medical records are only shared with a limited number of mainland hospitals, drug formularies remain inconsistent, and insurance claims cannot be settled directly across the border. The "Elderly Health Care Voucher Greater Bay Area Pilot Scheme" has limited coverage and involves cumbersome procedures. While the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government subsidizes local public hospitals, resulting in low fees, Hong Kong residents seeking medical treatment on the mainland often pay out-of-pocket, with costs higher than using public services in Hong Kong. These cost and service disparities lead many elderly Hong Kong residents living on the mainland to return to Hong Kong for treatment when ill.

In elderly care, due to geographical proximity, cultural similarities, and cost-effectiveness, Hong Kong seniors are increasingly favoring mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area for retirement. However, cross-border elderly care faces restrictions concerning the portability of welfare benefits. Under the "Guangdong Residential Care Services Scheme," the Hong Kong government subsidizes participants' accommodation, nursing, and basic medical costs, paid to approved service providers in Guangdong. However, the scheme is still limited to a small number of facilities, has limited capacity, and faces a shortage of nursing home beds for seniors with poorer health.

Regarding housing, some Hong Kong residents considering retiring north are hesitant due to concerns about their public rental housing units being reclaimed if left vacant. Housing benefits do not follow the individual, meaning grassroots citizens retiring north not only lack housing support on the mainland but may also lose their housing benefits in Hong Kong. Surveys indicate that a lack of confidence or insufficient information about purchasing or renting property on the mainland is a major obstacle for seniors considering retirement in mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area.

To address these issues, Li Minbin suggested that the central government coordinate efforts to enhance the level of public service integration in the Greater Bay Area. This would improve convenience and well-being, stimulate mainland consumption, develop the elderly care industry, and unlock new momentum in the silver economy, achieving a "win-win" outcome. Specific policy recommendations include:

First, rapidly expand the scope of successfully piloted policies. Examples include mutual recognition of medical records and test results, the "Hong Kong and Macao Drug and Medical Device Access Policy," the "Guangdong Residential Care Services Scheme," and cross-border ambulance services. Increase the number of mainland hospitals accepting elderly health care vouchers and broaden their applicable scope. Extend new welfare benefits, such as Hong Kong's "Chronic Disease Co-Care Programme," to retirees living north as soon as possible. Explore integrating a dedicated Greater Bay Area "cross-border commercial health insurance" scheme into the mainland hospital settlement system. Promote the Shenzhen model of "streamlined procedures for Hong Kong and Macao residents enrolling in medical insurance and seeking treatment" to enhance enrollment and renewal efficiency. Improve cross-border transport convenience by promoting the metro-fication of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail and implementing seamless clearance to facilitate travel for Hong Kong residents.

Second, leverage policies to encourage private market participation in cross-border elderly care services within the Greater Bay Area. An increasing number of economically better-off Hong Kong residents are retiring north, with more diverse needs focused on home-based care, high-end medical services, and cultural amenities. It is recommended that the government introduce policies, including tax incentives and land use support, to actively guide private investment—including from Hong Kong—in building nursing homes and other elderly care facilities. This would achieve economies of scale, simultaneously boosting the mainland economy and meeting the needs of Hong Kong residents.

Furthermore, thorough and forward-looking research is essential for policy formulation. It is suggested that Hong Kong collaborate with Greater Bay Area cities to conduct comprehensive research on Hong Kong residents settling north. This would assist the government in making reasonable plans and policy arrangements and provide references for investors in the elderly care industry.

Third, the Guangdong and Hong Kong governments should jointly initiate housing acquisition programs to provide public housing for Hong Kong retirees moving north. It is recommended that Hong Kong and the mainland jointly introduce policies to acquire housing for use as "offshore public housing," allowing retirees to exchange their Hong Kong public rental units. This policy could alleviate financial pressure on the Hong Kong government, free up local public housing supply, provide housing security for retirees moving north, and enhance the welfare of Hong Kong retirees on the mainland.