About 61,800 Hong Kong residents, or 1.1 percent of the population aged 18 and over, moved to the Chinese mainland in 2003, a 50 percent increase over 2001, according to a survey by Hong Kong Planning Department released here Friday.

Survey respondents said they were moving for work, retirement, or to be reunited with their spouse and children.

The number of Chinese mainland residential properties that Hong Kong residents owned or rented had increased almost 10 percent, from 218,000 in 2001 to 239,200 in 2003. Of these, about 215,400 were owned properties while only 23,800 were rented. Most of them were located in Guangdong. The top three places were Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou.

The survey found that about 39,900 local households, or 1.8 percent of all households, intended to move to the mainland within the next 10 years, an increase of 56 percent over 2001.

About 161,100 Hong Kong residents aspired to live in the mainland within the next 10 years. The most commonly quoted reasons were the lower cost of living, better living environment, and convenience for work there.

The survey provided a snapshot of local people's intentions and aspirations regarding living in the Chinese mainland, a useful reference for policy formulation and long-term strategic planning.

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2004)