Plans for park in Shenzhen-Hong Kong zone to be launched this year

Shenzhen will roll out development plans this year for park in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation zone, whose purpose is to increase technology and innovation cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao, according to a government report delivered by Mayor Qin Weizhong on Monday.

Qin said the mega city in Guangdong will work hand-in-hand with Hong Kong to implement a joint policy package and cooperate on a pilot scientific research management system.

"The city plans to step up opening-up and scientific innovation, and to renovate a science and research space of 150,000 square meters to establish the park," he said at the opening ceremony during the second session of the seventh Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress.

Shenzhen has set a 6 percent economic growth target for next year, as the city plans to develop itself into a focused science and technology area with global influence, Qin said.

Wen Yajing, deputy director of the Hong Kong, Macao and regional economic research branches of the China Development Institute, said in an interview with Hong Kong newspaper Wenweipo that the indispensable role of the cooperation zone is that the area is being built with cross-border efforts.

"It is a great platform for in-depth integration of rules and mechanisms between Guangdong and Hong Kong. It is also an important strategic channel for China to further align its international science and technology system," she said.

The Shenzhen River serves as the natural border between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Its riverside area, about 4 square kilometers, has been designated as the Shenzhen-Hong Kong technology and innovation cooperation zone since 2017.