Hong Kong can turn Hung Shui Kiu into a northwest stronghold

Francis Neoton Cheung is the convenor of Doctoral Exchange, a public policy research collective, and a former member of the Land and Building Advisory Committee.More than a decade ago, I argued that Hung Shui Kiu should be conceived as the “northwest stronghold” of Hong Kong, a geographic centre of the New Territories and a hinge point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Today, that vision is beginning to materialise. Hung Shui Kiu is no longer just a dot on the planning map; it is emerging as a core node of the Northern Metropolis and a testing ground for institutional innovation and industrial policy.The government’s embrace of an industry-first strategy marks a decisive break from the old formula of “housing first, jobs later”. By prioritising industrial clusters in Hung Shui Kiu, policymakers are attempting to anchor population growth and community development in a more sustainable cycle. This is precisely the kind of paradigm shift Hong Kong’s urban planning has long needed.Hung Shui Kiu’s location is its greatest asset. Nestled in the northwest New Territories, it sits just five minutes from Shenzhen-bay-port" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="132918" data-entity-type="location">Shenzhen Bay Port. Once the Shenzhen-western-rail-link" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="132919" data-entity-type="topic">Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link opens, the journey to the Qianhai cooperation zone should take just 15 minutes.