Authorities will negotiate with operators of popular care homes in Guangdong province to secure more places for elderly Hongkongers to meet rising demand, the welfare minister has said, amid a ninefold surge in city residents moving into such facilities across the border in recent years.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun Yuk-han said in an interview with the South China Morning Post that the number of elderly Hong Kong residents living in care homes under the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong had grown significantly, underscoring the rising popularity of retiring in mainland China.

“By March this year, there were 1,100 elderly people in Hong Kong who opted for residence in one of the 26 residential care homes in Guangdong. This is totally their own choice,” he said.

“If you look at the growth, it’s quite impressive. Just by the end of 2022, the number was 120. From 120 all the way to 1,100, that’s about nine times growth. So, obviously, it proves to be quite a popular service available to them.”

Sun noted Shenzhen and Guangzhou were among the most popular cities, and authorities would negotiate with operators to increase the places offered for Hongkongers if there was greater need.

“Based on the usage statistics, response from the users and also the service level, we can always adjust, not just the quota, we can always renegotiate the contract,” he said.