China News Service, Hong Kong, February 4th: Title: On the anniversary of comprehensive "customs clearance", "two-way travel" between Hong Kong and the mainland is closer
China News Service reporter Xiang Luping
As of February 6, it will be one year since the post-epidemic "customs clearance" between Hong Kong and the mainland was completed. This year, "two-way travel" between people from Hong Kong and the mainland, between enterprises, and between government departments has emerged intensively. New vitality continues to burst out, and Hong Kong's integration into national development has also reached a new level.
Comprehensive "customs clearance" will first bring about the flow of people. Since the resumption of "customs clearance" with various mainland ports, coupled with the addition of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail cross-border trains and the implementation of the "Hong Kong trains going north" policy, the passenger flow in and out of Hong Kong has been steadily increasing. Looking back at the first day of comprehensive "customs clearance", the entry and exit data of Hong Kong's ports was 280,000. By the end of 2023, this figure has exceeded 1 million.
The comprehensive restoration of "customs clearance" will not only bring the convenience of "walking away" and "seeing and seeing whenever you want", but also press the "accelerator button" for the interconnection between Hong Kong and the mainland. This year, whether it is Hong Kong citizens "going north" or mainland tourists "going south", surging crowds at various ports have become the norm. "Popularity" brings "wealth", and the dense crowds have brought a great deal of cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland, especially with the mainland. A new round of tourism and shopping craze among mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
In the mainland cities in the Greater Bay Area, you can see many Hong Kong people in shopping malls, farmers' wholesale markets, or tourist attractions. Some ports in Shenzhen have also launched "shopping express trains" specifically for Hong Kong people. On the streets of Hong Kong, some mainland goods purchasing agencies have also appeared, and some travel agencies have even launched tour groups to well-known mainland warehouse supermarkets to seize business opportunities.
As for the Hong Kong consumer market, the consumption habits of mainland tourists are no longer just "buy, buy, buy." Their preferences have become more diverse, including experiencing Hong Kong's history and popular culture, or experiencing Hong Kong's beautiful scenery, and pay more attention to "depth." tour". At the same time, many mainland consumer brands are also accelerating their entry into the Hong Kong market. According to incomplete statistics, more than 20 well-known mainland brands have opened stores in Hong Kong to promote business exchanges and progress between the two places.
The change in consumption is just a microcosm of the "two-way rush" between the two places after comprehensive "customs clearance". In the past year, Hong Kong and the mainland have continued to carry out exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, technology, culture, art and other fields.
From the "Shenzhen Park Development Plan of the Loop Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone" to the "Overall Development Plan of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone", a number of major plans from the central government have been released one after another, providing opportunities for Shenzhen and Hong Kong in the innovation, technology and modern service industries. cooperation points the way. The "Northern Metropolitan Area Action Plan" announced by the Hong Kong SAR Government identifies four areas in the northern metropolitan area: high-end professional services and logistics hubs, innovation and technology zones, port trade and industrial zones, and blue-green recreation and tourism ecosystems in the next 5 to 10 years. Gradually taking shape. By then, the northern metropolitan area will be superimposed on Shenzhen's port economic belt, and Hong Kong and the Mainland will have a clear timetable and roadmap for wider and more in-depth cooperation. A new stage of integrated development.
People-to-people connectivity, vehicle connectivity, road connectivity, financial connectivity, and people-to-people connectivity... Therefore, among the "Selection of Ten Major SAR Government Governance Issues in 2023" recently announced, "full restoration of customs clearance with the mainland" has received the most attention from Hong Kong citizens. It will become the first major event of the SAR government in 2023. As cooperation between Hong Kong and the Mainland deepens in the future in terms of transportation interconnection, policy docking, and industry integration, I believe this "two-way rush" story will continue to unfold. (over)