Newman Huo, Cai Yingbo

MEMBERS from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan called for all-round and deeper cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong in their proposal to improve Shenzhen’s competitiveness.

Their suggestions were put to a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the city’s top advisory body, yesterday.

The proposal, based on a two-month survey conducted by the members, said the two sides could cooperate intensively in the development of the Lok Ma Chau Loop in the restricted border zone between Lok Ma Chau and Huanggang checkpoints. They could also speed up construction of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation Circle by promoting exchanges in the fields of science and technology, education and human resources.

Li Decheng, chairman of the local CPPCC committee, delivered a work report prior to the panel discussion, summing up the local advisory body’s performance in the past year and setting new targets for this year.

The proposal, put forward after Li’s speech, outlined 12 fields the two cities should strengthen in the coming years.

Pushing forward the overall cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong is conducive to the implementation of the principle of “One country, Two systems” as well as to the realization of the goal of developing Shenzhen into an international city, the proposal said.

Shenzhen needs to improve its legal system and build a clean and efficient government through learning from Hong Kong. Further integration in talent and logistics is also needed to develop the area into a “mutual urban life zone,” according to the proposal.

A group of 54 specially invited representatives from Hong Kong and Macao also raised the cooperation issue during the panel discussion.

Wang Yiliang, 45, who has worked for the Hong Kong-based K. Wah Group since 1996, said Shenzhen, the pioneering city in China’s reform and opening up, could retain its competitive edge in China by building the city into a harmonious society.

“To build Shenzhen into a harmonious society, the city can learn from its counterpart in Hong Kong and focus more on improving the livelihood of its citizens,” he said.

In the past year, members of the local CPPCC put forward 662 proposals, most of which concerned Shenzhen residents’ livelihood. Of the total number of proposals, 99 percent had been resolved or received sound answers from relevant government departments.