Hong Kong urged to make Northern Metropolis ‘special zone’ to speed up work

Hong Kong authorities should designate the Northern Metropolis as a “special zone” with a separate approval mechanism to speed up development, the city’s sole delegate to the nation’s top legislative body has said.

Starry Lee Wai-king, a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, also discussed mounting criticism of CK Hutchison Holdings over its Panama Canal ports sale with key Beijing offices posting scathing commentaries about it, saying businesses should keep the country’s interests in mind when making deals.

In an interview televised on Sunday, Lee noted the slow pace of construction in the Northern Metropolis, especially the Hong Kong part of a new innovation hub co-developed with Shenzhen in Hetao.

“The Northern Metropolis should become a ‘special zone within the Special Administrative Region’ and have a special approval process,” said Lee, who recently returned from Beijing after attending the country’s key annual political meetings, known as the “two sessions”.

“For example, it usually takes 10 years to build a railway or three years to complete the bidding. Can we make it happen in one year if needed?”

The government’s Northern Metropolis blueprint aims to transform 30,000 hectares (74,130 acres) in the New Territories into a new economic growth centre and housing hub.

Starry Lee is a member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee. Photo: Dickson Lee

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Hong Kong urged to make Northern Metropolis ‘special zone’ to speed up work

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