The Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor recently accepted an exclusive interview with local newspapers and pointed out that the construction of buildings in the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in the Loop has not been slow in the four years since the land title problem was resolved in 2017. The Xintian Science and Technology City in the northern metropolitan area can be considered. Follow the development method of the Loop Project.
In addition, she also emphasized that Xintian Technology City is a "vision-based" development strategy that has not been established, so she refused to set any specific completion date targets for it.
Earlier, the "Northern Metropolis Development Strategy" proposed a large-scale increase in innovation and technology land in the area through different methods, and at the same time quickly implement the northern loop branch line and other regional transportation facilities, so as to "build a link that can connect the Lok Ma Chau branch station, Hong Kong-Shenzhen The Science Park and Xintian/Lok Ma Chau development hub, and the Xintian Technology City, which is closely connected with Shenzhen Futian and Huanggang, with a larger scale, more efficient spatial layout, and comprehensive and diversified land use combination, has become Hong Kong and Shenzhen’s future development of innovative technology. The focal point of the convergence of industry, academia, and research, and a development zone that promotes the deep integration of Hong Kong and Shenzhen," is known as "Hong Kong Silicon Valley."
Slow development is planning but not construction
In terms of advancing the construction speed of the project entity alone, the construction speed of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park in Hetao District may not be too slow in recent years.
However, ten years before the signing of the memorandum of land ownership in the Loop, the former Chief Executive Donald Tsang listed the "Hong Kong-Shenzhen Joint Development Loop" as one of the "Top Ten Constructions" in his 2007 Policy Address. The Shenzhen government has also set up a joint task force for the development of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border area to discuss related projects. Carrie Lam, who was then the Secretary for Development, also participated. Of course, these pre-planning work should be calculated within the time required for the project.
[Lok Ma Chau Loop] The 2017 satellite image shows that the Shenzhen River has been straightened. The Loop is in Hong Kong and is covered by vegetation.
(Google Earth)
It is particularly noteworthy that Carrie Lam claimed in a recent interview that the work related to the Loop Loop project after 2017 includes the completion of an environmental impact assessment. However, the Civil Engineering and Development Department has clearly applied for the EIA for the "Lok Ma Chau Loop Development" for the first time in December 2008. Then, in October 2011, the authorities proposed to adjust the scope of the study. The environmental permit after the final approval of the EIA report was issued in November 2013, indicating that the EIA work alone has been carried out for more than four years, and all the links took place in 2017 Years ago.
Vision comes true requires clear goals
As for the so-called "vision-based" development strategy, it has nothing to do with no need to set date targets.
The "Resource Recycling Blueprint 2035", "Clean Air Blueprint 2035" and "Climate Action Blueprint 2050" launched by the Hong Kong government this year are not all "visionary" strategies with annual goals?
Even for the entire northern metropolitan area, Carrie Lam herself said: "I look forward to the efforts of all Hong Kong citizens and the SAR government to basically complete the development of the northern metropolitan area and build an international innovation and technology center in the next 20 years." Is it subordinate to it? Does the new Xintian Technology City fall within the scope of "basically complete" within 20 years?
The "Northern Metropolis Development Strategy" hopes that Xintian Technology City and "Shenzhen "Futian" can respond to each other, collaborate and build a win-win situation." However, when the Futian Party released the "Futian Free Trade Zone Transformation and Upgrade Implementation Plan" in 2015, The increase in exports, service industry added value, industrial added value, commodity sales, total tax revenue and total floor area ratio, industrial land floor area ratio, total industrial building area, and industrial proposed area before 2023 have been set long ago. Quantitative targets such as proportions are completely different from those of Hong Kong.
Night view of Futian District, Shenzhen.
(Visual China)
The refusal to set a clear target time for the development of the "vision" itself reflects the unwillingness to make any practical commitments, and Hong Kong officials often hide the serious lag behind the progress of related projects.
Just as Luo Huining, director of the Liaison Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, warned that “slowly advance is also retreat”, anyone who hopes that “visions” such as the northern metropolitan area and Xintian Science and Technology City will come true, they will never be satisfied with the lack of goals. It’s even less possible to accept the extremely slow-moving efficiency of the Loop Loop in the past.
Beware of innovation and technology expansion and then degeneration of real estate projects. The north ecologically worthy conservation policy should be implemented. Abandoning the "first-hand building vacancy tax" is lack of courage.
