As Qianhai celebrates the fifth anniversary of its expansion plan, new data reveals a region transformed. The Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, which was expanded in 2021, has seen its regional GDP climb from 175.57 billion yuan to 331.81 billion yuan, while total imports and exports grew from 378.05 billion yuan to 757.43 billion yuan—both figures nearly doubling or more than doubling. These numbers underscore the success of the Plan for Comprehensive Deepening Reform and Opening Up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, which was promulgated on September 6, 2021.
The economic surge is underpinned by significant institutional innovation. Qianhai has introduced and refined policies that have led to 111 institutional innovation outcomes being replicated and promoted nationwide. The General Administration of Customs has rolled out two rounds of dedicated support policies to address development challenges. Notably, Qianhai pioneered a customs model featuring 'direct access at the first line and smart connected supervision,' which allows goods to be directly released at the port, with declaration and inspection conducted after arrival at the comprehensive bonded zone. This has streamlined customs declarations, reducing the number of required items from dozens to just over ten.
Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation has deepened visibly. The number of Hong Kong-funded enterprises has grown from over 8,000 in 2021 to more than 11,000 today. Technology commercialization platforms established by five Hong Kong universities have begun operations in Qianhai, incubating 193 projects in total. Gary Wong Chi-him, a Hong Kong resident working at the Qianhai Authority, has witnessed this firsthand. 'There's a saying in Shenzhen: once you come, you're a Shenzhener. I felt that sense of belonging from my very first day,' he said. 'Qianhai has created an environment where Hong Kong and Shenzhen are deeply intertwined. Even while living and working in Qianhai, you can still feel the atmosphere of Hong Kong, so I had no difficulty settling in.'
Jacqueline Ho, CEO of Hong Kong-funded sci-tech innovation company Synovate Technologies, praised Qianhai's supportive ecosystem. The company, which set up at the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation and Entrepreneur Hub in 2019, has benefited from talent recruitment services and connections to partners like Siemens. 'Qianhai has helped us connect with upstream and downstream partners such as Siemens, allowing us to establish a foothold in the hard-tech sector in a short time,' she said. Synovate has obtained around 50 independent intellectual property rights and was named to the Forbes China Emerging Tech T30&30 Selection this year. Qianhai is now home to 532 key AI enterprises, including SmartMore Information Technology, Pony.ai, and Fengyi Technology.
International reach is also expanding. In late July, the China Center for Promoting APEC Data Cross-Border Flow Cooperation was established at the China (Qianhai) Internet Exchange, the only national-level Internet exchange center in South China. Over the past five years, the center has served more than 270 enterprises. Its Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cross-Boundary Data Validation Platform has helped mainland SMEs secure over HK$260 million in financing in Hong Kong. Additionally, the secure cross-border data channel has benefited more than 300,000 Hong Kong residents, facilitating the transfer of medical records after treatment in Shenzhen.
Five years into its expansion, Qianhai has established a clearer path toward institutional opening-up. Each breakthrough reflects a consistent approach: turning institutional differences into new opportunities and translating the alignment of rules from paper into practice. 'Qianhai, Pulse with the World' is more than a slogan; it is a testament to the five years of reform and opening-up in this dynamic part of Shenzhen.
