LCQ15: Promoting interface between Hung Shui Kiu and Qianhai
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Question:
The National 15th Five-Year Plan has explicitly put forward the requirements of advancing the preparatory work for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link and developing major co-operation platforms such as Qianhai, Nansha and the Loop to high standards. According to the Northern Metropolis Action Agenda, Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area will be positioned as a "high-end professional services and logistics hub" connecting with Qianhai. The Government has established the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited (the Park Company), which is responsible for the development and operation of the industry sites in Hung Shui Kiu, as well as driving the development of industries with a competitive edge and supported by the Government. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the Park Company's specific ways to maintain regular interface with the Authority of Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone of Shenzhen Municipality (the Qianhai Authority) and strengthen co-operation in areas such as industrial planning, attracting enterprises and investment, mutual recognition of standards, professional services;
(2) whether the Government will draw reference from the practices of the Hetao Co-operation Zone and collaborate with the Qianhai Authority to formulate a "white list" and set up a "green channel" for talents in the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park who commute across the border to work, so as to facilitate cross-boundary flow of personnel, data, etc, between the Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park and the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Co-operation Zone (the Qianhai Co-operation Zone); and
(3) given that Guangzhou is currently striving to extend the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link to Nansha and it is expected to take merely around half an hour to travel from Hung Shui Kiu to Nansha at the fastest by then, has the Government conducted a joint study with the relevant departments in Guangdong and Guangzhou regarding the extension plan; of the Government's specific plan to implement the synergistic pattern among the Northern Metropolis in Hong Kong, the Qianhai Co-operation Zone and the Nansha Demonstration Zone for Comprehensive Cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao?
Reply:
President,
In alignment with the overall strategy of the Northern Metropolis (NM) as "industry-driven", the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, in the beginning of this year, established the wholly government-owned Hung Shui Kiu Industry Park Company Limited (the Park Company), which will be responsible for the development and operation of the around 23-hectare Industry Park located in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, with a view to capitalising on the locational advantage of Hung Shui Kiu for its good transport network and proximity to Qianhai and Nanshan in Shenzhen to drive the development of industries with a competitive edge and supported by the HKSAR Government, including high value-added or smart production (such as pharmaceutical manufacturing and food processing) and advanced construction.
The Industry Park, in conjunction development with the Hung Shui Kiu University Town, will foster deep integration of the industry, academia and research sectors, and attract talent. The Park Company will proactively attract high-quality enterprises to establish a foothold in the Industry Park through tailored packages, and provide support services such as testing and certification, business matching and staff training, etc. The Park Company will support enterprises in expanding their businesses, help Chinese Mainland enterprises to "go global" and "bring in" overseas firms, fully utilising Hong Kong’s advantages as an international city and boosting the economic impetus.
In respect of the various parts of the question, having consulted the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB), the reply is as follows:
(1) The Qianhai Co-operation Zone, with its high-standard opening up, promotes the innovative development of modern service industry, gathering the finance, technology, legal, and cultural and creative sectors, while the Nanshan District is a gathering place of high-tech innovation. Hung Shui Kiu is just a bay away from the Qianhai Co-operation Zone and the Nanshan District, offering great prospects for co-operation.
As aforementioned, the Park Company will grasp the locational advantage, and will establish a mechanism for communication and interfacing with the Qianhai Authority. A lot of issues could be jointly explored, including how to make good use of Qianhai's edge in technology and smart manufacturing (such as AI), thereby assisting enterprises in the Industry Park to promote the deep integration of technology innovation and industry innovation, and driving the building of a modernised industrial system in the Industry Park with new quality productive forces. Another issue is how the Industry Park can leverage Hong Kong's strengths in professional services, including finance, legal, logistics, to support enterprises from Qianhai and other Chinese Mainland cities that have established a foothold in the Industry Park in respect of the regulatory interfacing with the overseas markets of different regulations and business environments, thereby fully utilising Hong Kong's value as a "super connector".
(2) Facilitating cross-boundary flow of elements is the key to promoting the development of industries and hardware constructions. By making good use of resources gathered from the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, the NM will become a hub for innovative development and a gathering place for high-calibre talents. To this end, it is proposed to introduce facilitation measures through the dedicated legislation for accelerating the development of the NM to facilitate and regulate flow of personnel, data, materials and capital at designated areas or transport infrastructure projects in the NM. Having considered the unique advantages of synergistic development between the Hong Kong Park of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone (Hong Kong Park in the Loop) and the Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Zone, which are only separated by a river, at this stage, the HKSAR Government plans to first enact subsidiary legislation to facilitate the flow of personnel for the Hong Kong Park in the Loop, and is liaising with the relevant Chinese Mainland authorities on implementation details of the flow of others. Subject to future development and need, the HKSAR Government will consider expanding the application of similar arrangement in other designated areas within the NM, for facilitating and regulating cross boundary flow of elements.
(3) As a strategic transport infrastructure project, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (HSWRL) will promote the development of the NM and enhance the infrastructure connectivity in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and will promote and deepen the high-end economic collaboration between Hung Shui Kiu and the Qianhai Co-operation Zone. The TLB and the Shenzhen authorities have been jointly taking forward the HSWRL through the Task Force for Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation on Cross-Boundary Railway Infrastructure (the Task Force) as well as the "Office for Implementing Cross-Boundary Railway Projects" and the "Legal Group" under the framework of the Task Force. At the current stage, both sides are focusing on the implementation of the Hung Shui Kiu to Qianhai section of the project. The TLB is pressing ahead with the investigation and design work for the Hong Kong section (Hung Shui Kiu-Qianhai) of the HSWRL in full swing, while the Shenzhen Municipal Government has in parallel commenced the engineering feasibility study for the Shenzhen section. To meet future demand of collaboration and regional development between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, both sides will allow flexibility in the project design of the Shenzhen section and Hong Kong section for potential northward and southward extension respectively.
Ends/Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Issued at HKT 14:40
Issued at HKT 14:40
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