Zhang Xiaoqiang's comments make good sense. The deputy chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission says that Hong Kong should leave Guangdong to expand container terminals and we should focus on high-end logistics. Mr Zhang calls on Hong Kong to take a 'regional perspective' in building new container terminals in the future.
Actually, Hong Kong business has already invested heavily in container terminal operations in Shenzhen. Indeed, most of the companies owning and operating the terminals at Kwai Chung have invested heavily in the terminals across the border. Over the past decade, they have transformed Shekou and Yantian into substantial ports, and business has grown by leaps and bounds.
With Hong Kong's manufacturing relocating across the border, it made sense for our investors to also build the shipping and logistics infrastructure there.
Once the Shenzhen ports became established, they clearly had the advantage of location over Hong Kong. Shenzhen's container throughput is expected to overtake ours by next year.
Is that a problem for Hong Kong?
The government has a policy to build more container terminals, despite the fact that Kwai Chung has no more space. It had proposed building new terminals in South Lantau, but with the Disney theme park now there, the tip of northwest Lantau became the candidate for Container Terminal 10.