Sheung Shui protesters urge cap on Hong Kong visits for Shenzhen residents in bid to fight parallel trading
- Locals complain once quiet border town is now overcrowded and like an ‘airport terminal’ with people towing suitcases
Scores of protesters marched through the border town of Sheung Shui in Hong Kong on Sunday in a campaign against parallel trading and demanded urgent government action to stop the influx of mainlanders involved in such activities.
The demonstrators accused mainland visitors of abusing the current travel visa system by coming in repeatedly to buy goods in Sheung Shui and then reselling them for profit across the border.
Some 100 marchers shouted: “Parallel traders cause nuisance, the Hong Kong government is incompetent,” as they made their way through Shek Wu Hui in downtown Sheung Shui. Some shops pulled down their shutters as protesters passed.
The group accused parallel traders of causing overcrowding and blocking roads. Among protesters was Sheung Shui rural leader and retired horse trainer Brian Kan Ping-chee.
“Sheung Shui villagers have been really fed up. Every weekend, the roads are blocked by mainland visitors. Traffic gets jammed and my car can only move forward literally inch by inch,” Kan said.
