An 11-person committee, with two of the members from Hong Kong, will run the project to turn land over the border at Qianhai in Shenzhen into an innovative zone for service industries, the South China Morning Post has learned.
Beijing has given its blessing for Shenzhen to turn the 15-square-kilometre zone on reclaimed land north of Shekou into 'the Manhattan of the Pearl River Delta'. To achieve that, the central government has promised Qianhai will be allowed to test some groundbreaking ideas. One is to invite Hong Kong people to help manage the area.
Wang Jinxia, spokesman and director of Qianhai's operations and development department, told the Post that two Hong Kong people would join the 11-member administrative committee that would be given the power to manage the area.
The two Hong Kong members will be independent from Shenzhen's public service - meaning they will be subject to different oversight than mainland cadres.
'We are thinking of inviting well-known, influential Hong Kong people from either the political or business spheres to help manage the area. They will bring insights on Qianhia's development strategy,' Wang said. The details were still under discussion.
Wang stressed that the Hong Kong members would be given 'real power and responsibilities' and not just be consultants.
'The administration committee is the only decision-making body of Qianhai,' he said. 'It definitely enjoys real power.'