A lack of top-level cross-border communication could hinder Hong Kong's bid to become a world-class city, a local deputy to the National People's Congress has warned.
Cheng Yiu-tong issued the warning after a study on the development of Hong Kong and Shenzhen urged a joint approach on issues such as town planning and traffic.
'The progress of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Co-operation Joint Conference has been going extremely slowly. Such talks are meant to be held every six months but it has been nearly 11 months since the last meeting,' he said yesterday.
'There have been many economic and social issues which are of equal importance to both sides in the past 11 months that could be put on the table.' The study by the Hong Kong-China Relations Strategic Development Research Fund said while Hong Kong had the basics in place to become a world-class city, it would need help from areas nearby to make it possible.
Land, natural resources and skilled workers were plentiful in Shenzhen, the study said.
'Hong Kong and Shenzhen have their own strengths and weaknesses,' said Mr Cheng, who also chairs the fund.