Joining forces: Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng and Acting Chief Executive Henry Tang attend the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation Forum.

The long-term objective of Hong Kong-Shenzhen co-operation is to jointly develop a world-class metropolis comparable with Greater New York and Greater London, Acting Chief Executive Henry Tang says.

Speaking at the second Hong Kong-Shenzhen Co-operation Forum today Mr Tang said the two cities, as close partners, share the vision of moving forward through closer integration.

"The vision is crucial to the sustained development of the two cities. It is in line with the trend of integration among Asian economies and supports the long-term development needs of our country," he said.

"The long-term objective of our co-operation is to jointly develop a world-class metropolis comparable with Greater New York and Greater London. This metropolis, covering 3,200 square kilometres and with a population of about 20 million, will be one of the top metropolises in respect of economic size, trade volume and investments.

"In jointly developing Hong Kong and Shenzhen into a metropolis, we should be guided by the One Country, Two Systems principle, the spirit of development and pragmatism, and should not lose sight of the big picture. Apart from opening up to each other, we should also strive to promote the free flow of key economic elements such as personnel, goods, capital and information between the two cities."

More integration

Shenzhen Mayor Xu Zongheng said the strategic concept of building a Shenzhen-Hong Kong world-class metropolis enhances and deepens the co-operation of both places.

"It fully reflects the actual circumstances and development trend of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It expresses the common wish of the governments and people with insight from both cities, representing a significant milestone and symbolising a new historic stage and a brand new chapter of our co-operation.

"When I took up the office of Shenzhen Mayor, I put forward the concept 'to learn from Hong Kong and to serve Hong Kong', and that's what Shenzhen has been doing. I would like to take the opportunity today to further enrich this concept, that is 'to learn from Hong Kong, to serve Hong Kong, to integrate with Hong Kong, and to jointly build a world-class metropolis'."

He suggested that co-operation between the cities should adhere to the principles of "consensus, pragmatism, innovation, and mutual success".

"I believe that with the concerted and pragmatic efforts of the people of the two cities, we could surely overcome all obstacles to jointly build a world-class metropolis, and to achieve success for our country, our people, our region and our cities."