The secretary of the Qingdao Municipal Party Committee, and also a delegate to the National People's Congress, on Tuesday said the expansion of the Individual Visit Scheme to Qingdao provided great convenience for exchanges between Qingdao and the two SARs.

The scheme was expanded in March last year to cover a number of mainland cities, including Qingdao.

Zeng Zanrong told RTHK ahead of the preparatory meeting of the National People's Congress the implementation of the scheme had gone very well.

He noted there were many exchanges between Qingdao and the SARs on various aspects, including technological innovation, finance, and shipping.

Meanwhile, Foshan mayor Bai Tao said he will work to get his city covered by the scheme.

Bai, who's also a NPC delegate, said he welcomes Hong Kong residents to travel to Foshan, adding that there are no barriers to doing so.

He said he believes visits can foster the relationship between people in the two cities.

The mayor also said he welcomes SAR enterprises to expand their businesses in Foshan.