Letters | Shenzhen-Hong Kong special zone could better serve national economy

One of the most significant signals from the conference was the elevation of institutional opening up. The conference stressed the need to “steadily advance institutional opening up” and draft rules for a unified market. Beijing is seeking a testing ground that can align with international standards while serving domestic integration. A Shenzhen-Hong Kong special zone is uniquely positioned to play this role by drawing on the differences under “one country, two systems” – Hong Kong’s common law and global frameworks and Shenzhen’s reform capacity and innovation speed.

The conference also listed the development of international technological innovation centres in regions including the Greater Bay Area as one of eight major tasks for the coming year. This directly reinforces the zone’s innovation role. The Hetao cooperation zone and the Science Park can serve as international research platforms, while the Shenzhen-Hong Kong corridor provides a full chain from research to mass production. The Northern Metropolis is emerging as a key node in this corridor, as the zone’s function is elevated from local cooperation to a national mission.

Another priority highlighted was the encouragement of service exports and the active development of digital and green trade. These areas align closely with the zone’s strengths. Cross-boundary professional services such as law, arbitration, accounting and engineering can be expanded, while pilots in data flows and digital trade can be tested. Hong Kong’s established role in green finance and carbon markets provides an international interface for China’s energy transition.

The zone can pioneer reforms in cross-boundary data, financial regulation and professional services, providing replicable models for the rest of the country. With Shenzhen’s research strengths and Hong Kong’s international networks, the zone can become a global hub for research collaboration and technology transfer.