Guanlan, Hong Kong: Exclusive legislation protects the development of Hong Kong’s northern capital and the integration of the Greater Bay Area accelerates again

China News Service, Hong Kong, November 13. Title: Exclusive legislation protects the development of Hong Kong's northern capital and the integration of the Greater Bay Area is accelerating again.

China News Service reporter Xiang Luping

The Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passed the Northern Metropolitan Area Development Bill (hereinafter referred to as the "Bill") on the third reading on the 12th. This is the first time that Hong Kong has enacted exclusive legislation for a single large-scale area. It marks that the development of Hong Kong's northern metropolitan area (referred to as "Northern Metropolis") is not only supported by law, but also a new starting point for "tearing down walls and loosening restrictions" to speed up and improve efficiency. It will further smooth the cross-border flow of innovative elements and help the integrated development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Beidu's land area and future population account for one-third of Hong Kong's total. It is the largest development plan since Hong Kong's return and is regarded as the key to Hong Kong's future development. The country’s “15th Five-Year Plan” proposes “accelerating the construction of the northern metropolitan area”; Hong Kong’s first five-year plan also makes it clear: to build the northern metropolitan area into a main platform for Hong Kong to deeply participate in the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, actively integrate into and serve the overall development of the country, and develop a new engine for new productivity. Therefore, it is necessary to establish exclusive laws for Beidu to ensure the orderly implementation of relevant plans.

The Development Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government conducted public consultations on legislative proposals to speed up the development of the Northern Metropolis from March to May this year. The "Northern Metropolitan Area Development Bill" was published in the SAR Government Gazette on July 3, 2026, and was subsequently submitted to the SAR Legislative Council for its first reading. To this end, the SAR Legislative Council set up a Bills Committee and held 12 meetings in about three months to carefully review and put forward opinions and suggestions. Now that the Bill has been passed, it demonstrates the positive interaction between the administration and legislation of the Hong Kong SAR.

The bill facilitates the development of Beidu from six policy areas, including simplifying urban planning procedures, accelerating the payment of land resumption compensation, promoting engineering innovation and improving quality, simplifying the procedures and requirements for applying for construction noise permits, facilitating and regulating the flow of cross-border elements, and establishing statutory bodies for designated areas. The bill also authorizes the Chief Executive of the SAR in conjunction with the Executive Council to formulate subsidiary legislation in the above areas and formulate implementation details.

Simplifying the approval process is an important part of the bill. For changes in land use or relaxation of development parameters in non-conservation zones in the northern metropolitan area, the approval time will be shortened from at least 9 months to 2 months; the upper limit of the temporary land use permit period will be extended from the urban practice of 5 years to a maximum of 7 years, allowing industrial projects to have a more leisurely cycle of growth and capital recovery.

In terms of opening up the flow of people, logistics, data and capital, the Bill will help break through the institutional barriers to cross-border cooperation. In the future, the "white list" arrangement for personnel in the Loop Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone will be promoted, as well as measures to facilitate the flow of cross-border infrastructure projects and materials, giving full play to the unique advantages of connecting Hong Kong and Shenzhen in the North Metropolis.

While the system is "tearing down walls and loosening ties", hardware supporting facilities are also speeding up. Recently, the Transport and Logistics Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government signed a project agreement with the MTR Corporation. The main line and branch lines of the Northern Link connecting Beidu and Lienwan District have fully entered the construction stage, with the goal of opening simultaneously in 2034 or before.

In the long run, the construction of Beidu is a long-term project. In the next stage, the SAR Legislative Council will review five subsidiary laws and one technical memorandum related to the development of Beidu to establish a flexible rule framework that adapts to cross-border needs and promote the coordinated development of education, technology, industry, talent and livable communities in Beidu.

Since Hong Kong returned to the motherland, it has been looking for new growth points in the process of integrating into the overall development of the country. From leveraging its advantages as an international financial, shipping, and trade center to building a northern capital and deepening collaboration in the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong is expected to continue to unleash its potential under "one country, two systems", better leverage its strengths, serve the needs of the country, and continue to cultivate new momentum and achieve new development.