Construction of China’s first top grade general hospital located near the boundary between Shenzhen and Hong Kong is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, making high-quality medical services more accessible for residents of both cities.
The hospital, situated just a five-minute walk from Luohu Port, will employ renowned physicians from Hong Kong to offer high-end Hong Kong-style medical services, said Dennis Lam Shun-chiu, chairman and chief executive of C-MER Eye Care Holdings, at the 2024 Shenzhen (Luohu)-Hong Kong Economic and Trade Cooperation in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
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“On one hand, the increasing number of Hong Kong residents ‘traveling north’ will be able to enjoy more comprehensive healthcare; on the other, the hospital will enable Shenzhen residents to enjoy Hong Kong-style medical services on their doorstep,” said Lam, who is also a Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature, and a member of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council.
The project underscores the growing cooperation between Shenzhen’s Luohu district and Hong Kong. The two sides signed seven agreements on Wednesday on deepening cooperation across a wide range of fields, including commerce, technological innovation and talent.
“Hong Kong is the largest source of foreign investment for Luohu. With the unique advantage of being part of China and connecting to the world, the city is also the preferred platform for Luohu enterprises to expand their markets overseas,” said Bernard Chan Pak-li, Hong Kong’s undersecretary for commerce and economic development.
“As an international financial, trade and shipping center, Hong Kong should actively integrate into overall national development and play a role as a two-way platform for ‘bringing in’ and ‘going out’,” he added.
The 14th Five-Year Plan, the country’s development blueprint for 2021-25, supports Hong Kong’s development into “eight centers”, including an international financial center, an international innovation and technology center, and an East-meets-West center for international cultural exchange. The city is also stepping up construction of the Northern Metropolis mega project.
Shenzhen, meanwhile, has been tasked with transforming itself into a showpiece of socialism with Chinese characteristics.
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Fan Defan, secretary of the Luohu District Committee of the Communist Party of China, said the implementation of these strategies has injected a strong impetus for the high-quality development of Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
“Two-way opening up and deepening integration is an irresistible trend,” he said, calling on Hong Kong businesses and people to experience the vibrancy and charm of Luohu.
In 2022, about 40,000 Hong Kong residents were living in Luohu. More than 6,000 Hong Kong enterprises have set up offices there.
Three main Shenzhen-Hong Kong crossing points are situated in the district, namely Lo Wu, Man Kam To, and Heung Yuen Wai on the Hong Kong side. Over 30 million cross-boundary trips were made via Luohu Port in the first half of the year, with the highest daily tally reaching 248,000, according to official data.
