Shenzhen eager to mine HK's brain power
Shenzhen is banking on Hong Kong's brain power to help the border city become a national centre for innovation, its leaders say.
The central government has given Shenzhen the task of developing high technology and innovative industries. But while the city has made some progress, with technology firms such as Huawei, it lacks first-class universities and research centres.
Shenzhen's leaders see Hong Kong as the best solution to the problem. Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zhongheng , attending the first Shenzhen-Hong Kong Innovation Zone seminar yesterday, said the cities should jointly develop hi-tech industries.
'Hong Kong has many world-class universities and research institutes. Shenzhen has a dynamic hi-tech manufacturing industry. If we join hands, we could raise the competitiveness of our region in the global market,' he said.
The cities would focus on their respective strengths, he said. Shenzhen would concentrate on hi-tech manufacturing while Hong Kong would be responsible for research and financing.
Shenzhen Vice-Mayor Liu Yingli said Shenzhen's hi-tech firms would contract out research projects to Hong Kong universities and research centres.
'Hong Kong universities have many world-class research facilities,' he said.
The Shenzhen government has opened a special bus route that runs between its hi-tech zone and Hong Kong's eight universities to facilitate technology exchanges, including a special channel at the border with simpler procedures that would cut the travelling time to 30 minutes, Mr Liu said.
Mr Liu said Hong Kong had established five research institutes that could cater to hi-tech industries in Shenzhen. The institutes received $2 billion a year from the Hong Kong government and would focus on developing telecommunications, nanotechnology, textiles, car parts and logistics. The research would be shared with Shenzhen hi-tech firms, which would bring innovations to mass production.
Mr Liu said the cities still faced obstacles to their co-operation because of different political and economic systems, adding that he hoped the central government would relax some of its policies to speed up the exchanges.
The vice-mayor said Shenzhen lacked research and education resources and the mainland's rigid education policy had prevented it using Hong Kong's resources.
'Hong Kong universities still cannot open independent branch schools in Shenzhen. Hong Kong lecturers and research workers still need to pay high salaries tax if they come to work in Shenzhen. We hope the central government will consider these problems,' he said.
Qian Lijun , a State Council official in charge of Hong Kong and Macau affairs, promised that the central government would consider the proposal.
Many academics attending the forum welcomed the idea.
However, Xu Yangsheng, a professor from Chinese University of Hong Kong, doubted Hong Kong people's interest in such co-operation.
