More and more residents from Hong Kong are seeking investment, jobs, properties and even moving to Guangdong Province, a new survey says.

In addition, the survey forecasts the trend will continue to rise in the coming years.

"It is because of the rapid economic development and improved working and living environment of Guangdong Province," said a spokesman with the Hong Kong Planning Department (HKPD).

Another factor may be the enhanced economic cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong Province in the last few years, the spokesman said.

The Survey of Hong Kong People Living and Working in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) Region was jointly carried out by the HKPD and Guangdong Provincial Department of Construction for the first time in nine cities within the PRD Region.

The survey began in April last year and was completed in August this year looking for trends about Hong Kong people moving to the PRD Region, property purchases, marriages with Mainland residents, aspirations for moving, and frequency of return to Hong Kong.

The survey comprised two parts, including a survey of Hong Kong people engaged in foreign-funded enterprises and that of people living in major residential neighborhoods.

In terms of economic activity, about 79 percent of Hong Kong people engaged in the foreign-funded enterprises in the PRD Region were employees and up to 65 are managers and administrators.

Of the Hong Kong people living in the region, about 51 percent are employees and 16 percent are retirees, according to the survey.

The survey showed that about 68 percent of Hong Kong people engaged in foreign-funded enterprises in the PRD Region are aged 31 to 50, and 87 percent are males.

On the other hand, 83 percent of Hong Kong people living in the region live in their own property while about 14 percent are in rented housing.

And for the foreign-funded enterprise survey, married people with mainland spouses accounted for about 10 percent whereas in the residential neighborhood survey, the percentage was as high as 40 percent.

The spokesman said that the findings of the survey would lead to a better understanding of Hong Kong people living and working in the PRD Region.

"It is also envisaged that these trends will be on the rise in the years ahead and also have implications on the social and economic development and city planning aspects of both Hong Kong and Guangdong," said the spokesman.

According to the survey, nearly 70 percent of Hong Kong people in foreign-funded enterprises are willing to invest and work in the PRD Region in the next decade.

In addition, about 78 percent of people living in residential households plan to work and live in the region in the future.

(Xinhua News Agency December 16, 2004)