Chen Wenzhou, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has called for elevating the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Port Economic Belt–Northern Metropolis into a national-level cooperation platform, saying closer Shenzhen-Hong Kong ties should be turned into a stronger driver of high-quality development.

“In 2025, the total passenger volume through Luohu, Wenjindu and Liantang — the three checkpoints in Luohu directly connected to Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis — exceeded 100 million, accounting for nearly half of Shenzhen’s total land-port traffic,” Chen said. “This shows the enormous potential of the area for deeper integration.”

Chen said the move would not only support the development of Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis, but also help strengthen the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as a major engine of high-quality development.

Based on his research, Chen noted that the eastern cross-border corridor between Shenzhen and Hong Kong is facing growing pressure. Luohu Port is operating beyond saturation, Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai has far exceeded its designed capacity, and Wenjindu Port still faces issues related to function and land use.

To address these challenges, he suggested accelerating the redevelopment of Wenjindu Port, advancing rail connectivity between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and upgrading Shenzhen Railway Station into a comprehensive cross-border rail hub.

Chen also stressed the importance of “soft connectivity” in addition to infrastructure upgrades. He proposed clearer top-level policy support for the area, stronger rule alignment, and deeper industrial coordination among Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis, the Hetao cooperation zone and Luohu, so as to build a more integrated cross-border innovation ecosystem.

He also suggested exploring new cross-border logistics models, including expanded freight services and cross-border drone delivery, to improve the efficiency of movement between the two sides.

As the Shenzhen district with the closest geographic and people-to-people ties with Hong Kong, Luohu has continued to enhance cross-border connectivity. In 2025, traffic through its three major checkpoints surpassed 100 million. The district has also pushed forward port upgrades, launched supportive policies for high-quality port economy development, and strengthened cooperation with Hong Kong in consumption, services, innovation and people-to-people exchanges.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Luohu will continue to promote deeper Shenzhen-Hong Kong integration through better infrastructure, stronger policy coordination and closer people-to-people links, contributing to high-quality development in the Greater Bay Area.