Shenzhen citizens have mixed views about a new policy coming into effect on Monday which reduces their travel permits to Hong Kong from multiple times to just once a week.

The adjustment was welcomed by some Shenzhen residents who have no plans to regularly cross the border to shop in Hong Kong.

"The new policy is good, as it can help ease the pressure in Hong Kong of hosting a large number of mainland shoppers while not affecting the normal travel of most people," said Xiong Qing, who works in an architect's in Shenzhen.

"The adjustment will not exert much influence on me," said the 28-year-old Shenzhen resident, who said she seldom traveled to the neighboring city to buy commodities.

Other residents in the city, however, were critical of the authorities' decision to restrict entry times.

"It seems that the SAR government is under great pressure in the face of local people's discontent over the problem of parallel trading and they put all the responsibility on mainland tourists."

"It is ridiculous for a tourist city to say 'we cannot accommodate so many tourists' and limit the entry of travelers," said Wang Yingtian, a secondary school teacher who works in Shenzhen's Nanshan district.

Wang often travels to Hong Kong to buy baby milk powder and medicine for her relatives and friends. "I will not go to Hong Kong any more to buy some things. I will ask my friends to buy them from abroad," she said.

The multiple-entry policy was launched following a request from the Hong Kong government. It has played an important role in promoting the city's economic growth, employment and exchange between residents of the two sides, an official from Bureau of Exit and Entry Administration of the Ministry of Public Security said.

With the number of mainland visitors growing, putting increasing pressure on Hong Kong's borders, conflict between the number of tourists and the city's tourism capacity has become more obvious. It is because of this that the central government decided to adjust the entry policy, the official said.

The aim of changing the policy was to crack down on parallel trading activities, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying explained on Monday. The SAR government would step up efforts to combat parallel trading, including those conducted by Hong Kong residents, he vowed.

Despite the policy change, some people are skeptical over its effectiveness in addressing the problem.

"I don't think the restriction of Shenzhen citizens' entry will solve the problem of parallel trading. As a large number of parallel traders come from Hong Kong, it will only be effective if the government also limits their exit and entry as well,"said Pang Li, an IT engineer in Shenzhen.

sally@chinadailyhk.com

Travelers with their luggage gather at Luohu Control Point. Shenzhen's residents are to be limited to one trip a week to Hong Kong in a move to restrict parallel trading activities. Edmond Tang / China Daily

(HK Edition 04/14/2015 page3)