Lawmakers welcome Guangdong's Digital Bay Area plan
Hong Kong lawmakers on Wednesday welcomed a plan by the Guangdong government to combine how it verifies the identities of Hong Kong and Macau people with that of its own residents.  That's part of a wider three-year action plan for a "Digital Bay Area" aimed at integrating government services across the borders.  Under the plan, the home return permit – a document used by Hong Kong and Macau residents when travelling to the mainland – will be treated in the same way as provincial identity cards. Mainland authorities will also recognise the digital signatures of people from the two SARs.  Guangdong authorities said the move will make it easier for people to go about their everyday lives in areas like job-seeking, flat finding and electronic payment.  The vice chairman of the DAB, Brave Chan, welcomed the proposal, saying it will provide more convenience for Hongkongers who reside, work and study in the Greater Bay Area.  FTU lawmaker Kingsley Wong also expressed support for the plan, saying it will make it easier for home return permit holders to do things like buy travel tickets on the mainland, or handle banking matters.