Mainland China advisers furious over Hong Kong's high-speed rail link delay
It will definitely affect pace of integration in the Pearl River Delta, says Guangdong adviser
A two-year delay in the completion of the HK$67 billion high-speed railway connecting Hong Kong with Shenzhen and Guangzhou will have a serious impact on the Pearl River Delta, government advisers say.
"We are very sorry … so far we haven't been told by any Hong Kong department [about the delay]. What we can do is to make sure that our section will be completed on schedule," said an official from Shenzhen involved in the project, who refused to be identified.
Mainland government advisers were much more blunt.
Zheng Tianxiang, a provincial policy adviser involved in several infrastructure projects - said the delay would "definitely affect" the pace of the Pearl River Delta's integration.
A plan to streamline travel time to no more than an hour between each of the economically powerful delta region's cities is at the centre of the Guangdong government's development blueprint. Local authorities believe this will create capital and prompt a flow of talent to help the region upgrade its economy.
"For this to happen, all sections of the key infrastructure projects must be completed and connected synchronously. If one part gets delayed, the whole plan will be affected," Zheng said.