A senior provincial official has urged further expansion of economic cooperation between Guangdong province and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Zhao Yufang, vice-governor of Guangdong, said as a neighbor of the SARs, Guangdong's "first taste of the soup" should be given to investments from Hong Kong and Macao while the province is opening wider, seeking greater economic ties with the rest of the world.

"Guangdong is expecting to attract more investors from Hong Kong and Macao to join in building Guangdong's free trade zones, which include Qianhai in Shenzhen, Nansha in Guangzhou and Hengqin in Zhuhai," Zhao told the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Co-operation Forum and Qingyuan Investment and Development Summit in Qingyuan city, about 70 kilometers from the provincial capital Guangzhou, on Monday.

She urged relevant departments to introduce more preferential policies and regulations to attract investment from Hong Kong and Macao and protect their legal interests.

Zhao said more business opportunities were created for Hong Kong and Macao people when Guangdong, which relies on attracting Sino-foreign investment and economic co-operation for its economic growth, decided to deepen reforms and open wider to the outside world to help increase its international competitiveness.

Guangdong signed 26 co-operative contracts and nine letters of intent, worth $2.38 billion during the forum. The co-operative projects involve tourism, infrastructure, energy, environmental protection, E-commerce, new materials and education. Around 500 officials, executives of chambers of commerce and business representatives from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao attended.