HONG KONG, April 28 -- The governments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Macao SAR on Sunday welcomed an announcement earlier in the day by the Chinese mainland authorities to facilitate business and skilled staff travel overseas.

China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Sunday announced a host of policies to facilitate residents' overseas trips, including the extension of the period of stay for holders of an exit endorsement for business visit traveling to Hong Kong from seven days to 14 days and the expansion of application of the exit endorsement for talents to Beijing and Shanghai, both taking effect on May 6, 2024.

The NIA also announced that applications for the exit endorsement for business visit will be accepted nationwide and can be processed at any of the relevant offices across the country, irrespective of the applicant's place of household registration or place of residence.

"The two new measures will facilitate Hong Kong's further integration into national development and achieve concrete results on the solid policy foundation of facilitating the 'southbound and northbound' two-way flow of talents," a government spokesperson for the HKSAR said in a statement.

The HKSAR government will continue to maintain close liaison with the mainland authorities, with a view to further promoting the connection and exchanges of talents between the Mainland and Hong Kong, and creating stronger impetus of growth for Hong Kong and the entire Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), the statement added.

Also on Sunday, the Macao SAR government said the updated measures will further facilitate the business exchanges between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, and promote the coordinated development of talent hubs like Beijing, Shanghai and the GBA.

The measures will also support the appropriately diversified development of Macao's economy, better promote personnel exchanges, economic and trade exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, and better serve to ensure that the HKSAR and Macao SAR accelerate their integration into national development, the Macao SAR government said.