Shenzhen's parallel universe: action to stop street traders divides city
The city is split: residents online are more anti-Hong Kong; on the street, they want ties to improve
Just outside one of the border checkpoints between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, a scene is re-enacted many times each day. In the sea of people, a lone figure will bob out and scurry to one corner. He unzips his bag and hands over its contents to another person. Then just as quickly he melts back into the crowd.
The owner of a grocery store in the Luohu Commercial City mall in Shenzhen who sees these furtive exchanges every day breathed a sigh of relief when the central government announced on Monday that Shenzhen residents would no longer be issues permits allowing unlimited visits to Hong Kong. They will be limited to weekly visits in a bid to stamp out parallel trading, a scheme in which runners ferry goods from Hong Kong across the border for resale at a profit in Shenzhen.
"It is a reasonable policy," said the grocer, whose store is right outside the Shenzhen customs checkpoints where 20,000 parallel traders cross every day.
"Hong Kong people will no longer have any excuses to hate mainlanders because of the problems parallel trading has brought. But I do not think Hong Kong people should be limited to just one visit to Shenzhen a week. It does not have to be this way."
His take on the visa changes to stamp out parallel trading stands in stark contrast to the sentiments expressed on Shenzhen internet forums asking for such a retaliatory move.
Since reports emerged last week that Shenzhen permanent residents might face restrictions, angry comments have flooded internet forums, calling for the Shenzhen authorities to reciprocate with their own visa curbs.
For years, Shenzhen has been the go-to place for Hongkongers for food, clothes and, of course, massage parlours because of the city's proximity and cheap prices.