HKSAR Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa and Guangdong Governor Huang Huahua co-chaired the Hong Kong-Guangdong Co-operation Joint Conference in Guangzhou, announced the Hong Kong government Wednesday in Hong Kong.

Both sides agreed to set up an expert group to bolster co-operation and extend its positive impact across the delta region, while capitalizing on opportunities brought by CEPA and expediting commerce and trade co-operation.

Both sides will organize further study tours for Hong Kong firms to explore the business potential in the eastern part of Guangdong, and to continue joint efforts in promoting the greater Pearl River Delta (PRD) area overseas.

On land transport, both sides will continue to push forward studies on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.

On air transportation, Hong Kong will strive to further open up airports in the PRD region for Mainland and Hong Kong airlines, introduce helicopter services between Hong Kong and the region, and streamline sea-air intermodal transit arrangements to facilitate travelers.

They also reached an agreement to set up an Expert Group on Hong Kong-Guangdong Town Planning and Development through the upgrading of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Special Panel on Town Planning and merge it with the Expert Group on Information Exchange.

The new group will put in place an information platform on Hong Kong-Guangdong city planning. It will also launch a study on the Co-ordinated Development of the Greater PRD Township, and continue to co-operate and exchange information on planning to facilitate the long term development of the greater delta area.

Both sides also agreed to name the new Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor control point, the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and to plan the basis of providing round-the-clock clearance services in future.

In 2003, the number of private enterprises in Guangdong rose 29 percent to over 300,000, with registered capital of RMB450 billion and export growth of 170 percent - among the highest on the Mainland.