Government leaders from Hong Kong and Guangdong have held their first in-person conference in four years, sealing agreements in areas such as technology, healthcare and finance.

The talks on Tuesday took place in the Central Government Offices, with a Hong Kong delegation led by Chief Executive John Lee, who co-chaired the talks with Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong.

Noting that this year marks the fourth anniversary of the outline development plan for the Greater Bay Area initiative, Lee said: “We must seize every moment to actively promote the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area in accordance with the spirit of the 20th Party Congress and the Two Sessions.

“This requires close cooperation between Guangdong and Hong Kong to lead the high-quality development of the Greater Bay Area and embark on a new journey to reach new heights.”

After the talks, the two side signed five co-operation agreements on areas including technology exchanges and the development of a smart city cluster.

Financial regulators from both sides signed a deal on promoting financial co-operation, while the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province sealed an agreement on labour inspections and law enforcement.

The final agreement is intended to improve exchanges and cooperation on the regulation of drugs and medical devices in the GBA.

Meanwhile, the two governments said they would arrange more exchange programmes and study tours for Hong Kong school groups. They said this would help teachers and pupils enhance their understanding of the nation’s development and deepen their sense of national identity.