CCIEE Co-Hosts Shenzhen-Hong Kong Biotechnology Cooperation Symposium and Report Launching Ceremony

On July 26, China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), Our Hong Kong Foundation and China (Shenzhen) Development Institute (CDI) co-organized the Shenzhen-Hong Kong biotechnology cooperation symposium, on which two research reports—Shenzhen-Hong Kong Biotechnology Research Report and Policy Support System for Biotechnology Cooperation in Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone—were released.

To implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instruction of “bringing into play the functions of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone (the Zone) and other platforms, and making greater progress in Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation”, CCIEE, Our Hong Kong Foundation and CDI conducted the research commissioned by Shenzhen Municipal Government, to jointly promote cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The three parties focused on the biotechnology industry in the Zone as an important pivot of Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation, resulting in the tripartite gain—Shenzhen-Hong Kong Biotechnology Research Report. Besides, CCIEE completed the report Biotechnology Cooperation Policy Support System in Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone (the Report) after in-depth research.

The Report points out that biotechnology cooperation in the Zone can enrich the great practice of “one country, two systems”, and promote win-win cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Taking biotechnology as the entry point, it can spearhead the integration of Shenzhen and Hong Kong systems, standards dovetailing and governance synergy, which can facilitate the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Pilot Demonstration Area of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and promote the prosperous and stable development of Hong Kong in the long run. At the same time, advantageous resources of Shenzhen and Hong Kong can be pooled in the process to foster China’s leading industrial clusters, introduce internationally accepted rules and systems, and promote system-based opening up.

The Report analyzes the foundation, advantages, problems and obstacles faced by Shenzhen-Hong Kong biotechnology cooperation. Based on the actual situation learned from the research in Shenzhen, it puts forward a total of eight policy recommendations for deepening Shenzhen-Hong Kong biotechnology cooperation, such as upgrading the strategic capacity of the cooperation zone, implementing inclusive support policies, exploring the mode of co-construction, co-management and shared governance, and promoting the convenient flow of biotechnology elements, etc. It recommends that Shenzhen take the opportunity of being the comprehensive authorization reform pilot to take the lead in the implementation of the central comprehensive authorization in the field of biotechnology, and the landing of National Medical Products Administration Greater Bay area branch centers respectively for drug review and inspection and for medical device technical review and inspection in Lok Ma Chau Loop. It suggests accelerating the interoperability of clinical trials, in line with Gangyaotong (a program that enables drugs and medical equipment that are already on the Hong Kong market to be used in Shenzhen and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area after approval), to speed up drug and medical device review and approval in China’s mainland by adopting efficacy data from Shenzhen patients using drugs and medical devices listed in Hong Kong. It recommends compiling a white list of enterprises importing biological materials, and speeding up the import check and release of biological materials by the Customs for biopharmaceutical enterprises with good biosafety risk control in Lok Ma Chau Loop. It advises to promote the flow and sharing of genetic resources and information data needed for scientific researches between Shenzhen and Hong Kong industrial parks in Lok Ma Chau Loop.

CCIEE will actively promote the transformation of policy from research results to provide stronger support for Shenzhen-Hong Kong biotechnology cooperation. It will also continue to actively participate in this tripartite think-tank research and promotion mechanism, so as to boost the sound and sustained cooperation with joint efforts.