Policy Address
Twin Cities, Three Circles
24. In the course of reform and opening-up of our country over the past 40 years or so, there has been very close interaction between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The construction of seven land boundary control points and connected transport infrastructure from the west to the east has enabled the two cities to go beyond the Deep Bay, the Mirs Bay and the Shenzhen River to connect with each other, thereby forming a spatial framework of “Twin Cities, Three Circles”.
25. The “Twin Cities” refers to Hong Kong and Shenzhen, whereas the “Three Circles” includes, from the west to the east, the Shenzhen Bay Quality Development Circle, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Close Interaction Circle and the Mirs Bay/Yan Chau Tong Eco-recreation/tourism Circle. The concept of “Twin Cities, Three Circles” covers the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Boundary Control Points Economic Belt and the most maturely developed metropolitan core in Shenzhen, as well as the Northern Metropolis in Hong Kong where the development potential is enormous with resources for urban development being speedily pooled in. The formation of the spatial concept of “Twin Cities, Three Circles” will facilitate close collaboration between the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen in areas such as economic development, infrastructure, I&T, people’s livelihood and ecological environment. By joining hands, we will be able to achieve the synergy effect of “one plus one is greater than two”.
Transport Infrastructure-led Development
26. In my Lantau Tomorrow Vision proposal put forward in the 2018 Policy Address, the transport infrastructure-led concept won wide acceptance. The consolidation of the Northern Metropolis and its expansion in terms of development capacity will also be driven by a transportation system with railways as its backbone. The railway projects proposed in the Development Strategy include:
- constructing the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Railway linking up Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen and Qianhai of Shenzhen;
- extending the Northern Link, which is being planned, northwards to connect to the new Huanggang Port in Shenzhen via the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park (HSITP) in the Lok Ma Chau Loop (the Loop);
- exploring the extension of the East Rail Line to Luohu, Shenzhen and the provision of co-location arrangement at the boundary control point on the Shenzhen side and provision of a new railway station for non-boundary crossing service between the existing Lo Wu Station and the Sheung Shui Station, with a view to unleashing the development potential around Lo Wu/Man Kam To and Sheung Shui North;
- extending the Northern Link eastwards from the Kwu Tung Station to connect with the areas of Lo Wu, Man Kam To and Heung Yuen Wai, and further southwards to Fanling via Ta Kwu Ling and Queen’s Hill; and
- examining the feasibility of constructing an automated people mover system from Tsim Bei Tsui to Pak Nai to promote the development of the area and Lau Fau Shan.
