Beijing has addressed as many as 50 issues affecting Hong Kong people working in Chinese cities to provide them with the same privileges as their mainland counterparts, according to a report by the official Xinhua news agency on Wednesday.

In Hong Kong, the news was received with mixed reactions while some acknowledged the advancement in benefits enjoyed by Hong Kong people in mainland China, questions were raised as to whether non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents would be eligible.

Sceptics also wondered if the city would have to reciprocate the central governments move by according benefits to mainlanders living in Hong Kong.

What was said in the announcement?

For students from Hong Kong and Macau, free education will be available in Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Beijing. Employees of mainland companies who are from Hong Kong and Macau will have their requirement for work permits lifted, and can expect to access the housing reserve scheme.

For travellers, there will be less queueing as more ticketing machines will be set up to scan their home return permits. Access to accommodation may also be made easier with mainland hotels forbidden to cite abnormal reasons to reject Hong Kong and Macau guests.

Why did Beijing roll out the plan?

The report, citing an unnamed official from the State Councils Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said the decision was in line with the promise of more convenience and opportunities for Hong Kong people studying, working and living in mainland China.

The vow was made by President Xi Jinping during his visit to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kongs return to Chinese rule.

According to the citys population by-census in 2016, there were 82,531 Hong Kong people working in mainland China, among which one third were in Shenzhen, about half in other parts of Guangdong, and the rest mainly in Beijing, Shanghai and Fujian.

The number of Hong Kong retirees living on the mainland was even larger. A survey by the Hong Kong government done in early 2011 found that some 115,500 Hongkongers aged 60 or above were regular residents on the mainland, amounting to about 8.6 per cent of the total population in this age group.

How the plan will affect Hong Kong people:

a) Studying on the mainland

What we know: According to the report, the Education Ministry promised to create conditions for students from Hong Kong and Macau to receive free education in provinces and cities including Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shanghai and Beijing. Some cities in Guangdong and Zhejiang have been pioneers in offering 12 years of free education.

Currently students from Hong Kong and Macau can only go to private schools on the mainland or return to their home cities for education because they do not have the household registration required for enrolment into mainland public schools.

Public schools on the mainland are not only cheaper, but also better in quality due to more resources put in by local governments.

What we dont know: However, it is still unclear what conditions will be created for such students to enter mainland public schools. For example, starting from April in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau students can apply for public schools if they are qualified in a point-based system. More admission details are yet to be revealed by the Education Ministry.

b) Working on the mainland

What we know: The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security said it was speeding up the process to study the abolition of the work permit requirement for employees from Hong Kong and Macau.

The work permit system has been in existence since 2004 and functions similar to the working visa for foreigners in Hong Kong. Mainland employers have to prove that the Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan residents they are hiring are unique and can fill a position that cant be occupied by a local despite at least three weeks of open recruitment.

Such potential employees are required to submit up to 10 items of paperwork to apply for the permit from a municipal human resources department.

What we dont know: One of the remaining questions centres on whether the current system will be removed completely, or be merely replaced by other filtering mechanisms as China becomes more cautious in receiving and managing foreign job seekers.

c) Travelling to the mainland

What we know: Travellers from Hong Kong with home return permits will avoid long queues at train stations as China Railway promised to install more scanning machines across the country.

By the end of June, 215 train stations in five provinces and two major cities have received upgrades on their machines according to the national railway operator.

In June, the National Tourism Administration declared that all accommodation service providers were forbidden from refusing guests from Hong Kong and Macau under abnormal reasons.

What we dont know: It is unclear what constitutes a normal or justified reason. As there are mainland hotels that only receive domestic guests and therefore are not opened to visitors from Hong Kong and Macau, questions remain over whether this qualifies as an abnormal reason.

d) Seeking medical treatment on the mainland

What we know: Currently Hong Kong people living on the mainland have to pay full prices for medical services in public hospitals unless they can claim reimbursement from social security insurance under their employee status.

The central government is now considering extending the medical security net to cover Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan citizens who are living, studying or working on the mainland.

In mid-June, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced that it has been drafting a temporary regulation to allow people from the three places to join the social insurance scheme on the mainland.

The new rule may also require local governments to provide subsidies.

What we dont know: Practical details such as insurance costs and how far local governments on the mainland are willing to subsidise such individuals are still unclear. The ministry has not announced a deadline to finalise the regulation.

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Work, study and play: will Hong Kong residents be tempted by equal rights in mainland China? - South China Morning Post