This undated file photo shows the Luohu district of Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
Shenzhen’s Luohu district will ramp up efforts to improve public services and attract talents with the aim of turning itself into a pilot area for Shenzhen-Hong Kong integrated development.
The district has set a target of starting more than 10 demonstration projects in multiple fields, including medical services, education and elderly care, by 2026, according to a three-year action plan released on Wednesday.
The plan calls for cultivating and attracting no fewer than 500 high-end talents, and incubating over 30 international startups by the year.
“Luohu, with its geographical advantages, is a ‘super link’ for resources between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland,” said Li Qian, a senior official in charge of upgrading and developing the Shenzhen-Hong Kong modern commerce industry in Luohu.
Under the three-year action plan released on Wednesday, Luohu will establish a Hong Kong-funded medical complex, enabling patients to get Hong Kong-style medical services there. Upgrading of facilities at Luohu Port will be accelerated, and new modes of cross-boundary travel will be explored, such as using helicopters and shuttle buses
Since the full resumption of normal travel between the Chinese mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, nearly 60 million cross-boundary trips have been made via three land crossings in the district, accounting for almost half of the total cross-boundary trips between Shenzhen and the SAR. More than 70 percent of the trips were made by Hong Kong residents.
“With deep-rooted Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation, Luohu is the ‘first stop in Shenzhen’ for exchanges and interaction between Hong Kong and the mainland. It’s also the ‘first stop’ for many Hong Kong enterprises, as well as people, stepping into the mainland,” Li said.
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Under the plan, Luohu will establish a Hong Kong-funded medical complex, enabling patients to get Hong Kong-style medical services there. Upgrading of facilities at Luohu Port will be accelerated, and new modes of cross-boundary travel will be explored, such as using helicopters and shuttle buses.
Cross-boundary data flow will be further strengthened as Luohu is mulling the possibility of building a Shenzhen-Hong Kong innovation center for data interconnection in the port area.
An officer handles exit formalities of tourists at Luohu Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, on May 3, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)
Li said the district government has been playing close attention to the impact of the business environment on attracting talents and capital, and has been striving to promote openness and connectivity between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
“We aim to beef up infrastructure connectivity between the two cities by creating a 30-minute intercity commuting circle by 2026,” he said, adding that better public services will be provided to attract and retain talents to live and work in Luohu.
In this respect, Luohu will try to introduce Hong Kong educational resources to the district through mainland-Hong Kong partnership or independent operations.
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Service counters specifically for Hong Kong workers will be set up to help them deal with government and social services.
