The government said on Thursday that the delegation will visit four GBA cities including Shenzhen, Dongguan, Foshan and Guangzhou.

Chief secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki and president of the LegCo Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen will be the deputy leaders of the delegation.

During the visit, leaders of Guangdong Province and relevant cities will meet with the delegation.

The itinerary of the delegation includes visiting various facilities, enterprises and projects in fields like innovation and technology, environmental protection, youth development, arts and culture, and sports, for the participants to learn more about the latest developments and opportunities in GBA cities.

“President Xi Jinping, during his recent inspection tour to Guangdong, said that the GBA holds strategic importance in the country’s new development pattern.

“The SAR proactively supports the important strategy by continuously strengthening its communication with other GBA cities, so as to promote high-level co-operation and high-quality development in the GBA and dovetail with national strategies,” Lee said.

Lee and the delegation will arrive in Shenzhen tomorrow. On the following three days, the lawmakers will be divided into two groups to visit GBA cities, each led by a deputy to visit Dongguan or Foshan.

Lee will participate in part of the visit of both groups in turns, the delegation will then visit Guangzhou together.

This visit marks the first joint visit to mainland by the current term of government and the LegCo since the electoral system was improved and the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” was implemented.

It is also the first large-scale visit by the SAR to major GBA cities on the mainland since full border resumption.