Shenzhen, a fast-growing southern city is advised to merge with part of a neighboring city to prop up its striking economic growth and better facilitate its swelling population.

Liu Jiachen, a CPPCC (Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) deputy from Shenzhen, said he has handed over a proposal to the CPPCC for the expansion of Shenzhen's urban area to take in Huizhou's Huiyang District.

"Once the proposal is approved, the area of Shenzhen could be more than doubled from its current 2,020 square kilometers," Liu said.

Shenzhen, which grew up from a small fishing village, has a population of about 10 million now. However, land shortages have become a serious problem and made foreign investors shy away.

"Given the official figures that additional 20 square kilometers areas could have been developed over the past five years, the remaining land in Shenzhen will run out in 10 years, which will make it hard to support the sustainable development of the city," Liu said.

With another 2,200 square kilometers worth of area by combining with the Huiyang District, Shenzhen could relocate its manufacturing industry while focusing on high-tech research and development, he added.

Huiyang District has already attracted some big names from home and abroad like General Motors, Sony and a giant joint petrochemicals project by CNOOC (China National Offshore Oil Corp) and Shell. But it has been suffering from a stagnant economy for years. The per capita GDP (gross domestic product) of Huizhou stood at US$1,000 last year, compared with Shenzhen's US$6,000. Its stagnant economy will also be stimulated by merging into the booming city of Shenzhen, Liu said.

An expanded Shenzhen will contribute more to cooperation with Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta region in terms of resources, industrial and geographical advantages, he anticipated.

Guo Wanda, head of the China Development Institute, a local government think-tank, said the merger could remove the administrative obstacle between the two cities.

(China Daily March 10, 2004)