Arguing Against Removing the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Border
Renowned as the “Pearl of the Orient” for its affluence, prosperity, high security and living standard, Hong Kong has been an intriguing attraction for tourists, especially for people from Mainland China. Recent years has witnessed a surging torrent of mainlanders flocking to Hong Kong for traveling, since China resumes sovereignty over Hong Kong. Many, however, are held back by the border set at Shenzhen. So there has been a clamor for removing the border growing increasingly louder lately. From my perspective, I argue against the removal of the border on the ground that it will exert calamitous impact on Hong Kong and its residents. Hong Kong will be overwhelmed by over-population, shortage of academic and medical opportunities, unemployment, inflation and tense conflicts between Hongkongers and mainlanders.
To start with, the removal of Shenzhen-Hong Kong border will render Hong Kong overpopulated as mainlanders flood in. Because of Hong Kong’s high-standard welfare and medical conditions, its citizenship is coveted feverishly. Many people from Mainland China resort to various ways only in an attempt to get a foothold in Hong Kong. For example, many mainland women go to great lengths to give birth in Hong Kong only wishing their offspring could have the right of abode. Besides, there are lots of people smuggling to Hong Kong, causing the local market to be glutted with illegal immigrants. Thus, once the border is removed, there will be no restrictions for people moving in to Hong Kong. It will compound the already-over-populated situation of Hong Kong and cause potential instability of the society.
With the overpopulation comes the shortage of academic and medical opportunities. Once the border is removed, a legion of mainlanders throng in and it will inevitably lead to the scarcity of education and medical care resources available to Hong Kong residents as well as mainland Chinese. Hospitals would be crammed with patients, and school-age children could not enjoy proper quality education. This will put considerable pressure on the Hong Kong government as well as its citizens, as their life quality declines with the overload. They have to bear with the consequences of the removal of the border. In this light, removing the border is strongly advised against.
It is also worth noting that riddance of the border will cause the inflation rate to increase drastically. The housing price in Hong Kong has already topped the list of world market. The gap between the rich and the poor being already so massive, the number of disadvantaged people would skyrocket in a few years as mainlanders swarm into Hong Kong. The low-incomers will scarcely afford to rent, least of buying, houses. The huge disparity between demand and supply of housing will force the market price of housing to soar out of citizen’s affordability. The merchandise prices, such as the groceries, the household appliances, the medical fees, will also rise correspondingly. The living cost will be greater for poor people, who will struggle to make a living and have to spend a large proportion of income on spending. Eventually, it will be affecting Hong Kong’s economy.
