Lin Min

linmin67@hotmail.com

THE twin cities Shenzhen and Hong Kong are turning a page of their history by reopening several border crossings yesterday that were closed for almost three years due to the pandemic.

Reopening the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border, which had witnessed the start of the epic reform and opening-up, is unmistakable evidence to China’s pledge to open the door wider to the outside world.

Despite Western perception of a China turning inward, the country has repeatedly declared it would expand its opening-up drive on many occasions, such as the report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC and President Xi Jinping’s 2023 New Year address.

Geopolitical risks and previous pandemic restrictions have reportedly prompted many multinational companies to divert manufacturing to other countries or to consider doing so. The border reopening, together with the cancellation of the requirement for overseas arrivals to undergo a quarantine and COVID restrictions on international flights, effective from yesterday, is crucial for foreign businesses to remain confident to stay put in China.

For Shenzhen, the border reopening will undoubtedly facilitate the city’s efforts to better connect with international business communities after the three-year closure hindered personnel exchange with the outside world. Cross-border travel was reduced to a trickle during the three years of tight immigration controls that left only the Shenzhen Bay checkpoint serving a limited number of travelers, who were also required to undergo centralized quarantine after entry.

Companies in Shenzhen are racing to make up for lost time, with many of them eager to send representatives to overseas trade fairs and exhibitions to seek orders.

For Hong Kong, this provides a new impetus as the special administrative region (SAR) seeks to return to the world stage after its status as “Asia’s world city” took a hit by the 2019 violence and the pandemic. The reopening is also expected to boost the local economy as mainland tourists return to the SAR, albeit in a gradual manner.

For individuals, the reopening comes as a great relief, especially for those who need to travel between the two cities frequently for business, work, study and family reasons. According to official statistics, 240 million trips between Shenzhen and Hong Kong were recorded in 2019, with the daily average reaching about 660,000. The figures show how deeply the two cities are intertwined with each other. The current quota of about 60,000 travelers each way represents only a fraction of the pre-pandemic level.

The quota will probably not be enough to meet the pent-up travel demand between the two cities. However, given that COVID-19 still poses a health threat, and the fact that the reopening will make it easier for different variants of the virus to sneak into Hong Kong or the mainland, cautions in the beginning are justifiable.

Authorities on both sides of the border have put forth great effort to prepare for the long-awaited reopening, mainly to ensure that the resumption of border crossings will be glitch-free. However, measures should also be taken to avoid a disruption similar to mainland tourists snapping up baby formulas in Hong Kong about a decade ago. As imported COVID vaccines and medicines are not available or in short supply on the mainland, some people may travel to Hong Kong to get a jab with an imported mRNA vaccine or buy imported COVID medicines such as Paxlovid. Medical institutions and drug stores in Hong Kong should develop a booking system for mainland tourists and stock up on the supply of such vaccines and medicines in anticipation of a possible surge in the number of mainland buyers.

If the reopening does not bring disruptions to the health system and other sectors on both sides, it is expected that the daily travelers quotas will be gradually increased and ultimately lifted.

Shenzhen and Hong Kong are two important engines of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which has two special economic zones, three pilot free-trade zones and two special administrative regions with very distinctive systems, all catalysts for “chemical reactions” to fuel growth. Both cities have prospered as a gateway or window to China for the rest of the world, and are again aspiring to renew their success stories based on their own strengths. Yesterday’s cautious beginning to reopen is a new start for the two cities’ separate endeavors as well as for their partnership.

(The author is a deputy editor-in-chief of Shenzhen Daily.)