Parallel traders are mainlanders who make use of the multiple visa entry available to those living in neighbouring Guandong Province to come to Hong Kong to stock up on household goods, in some places for selling back home at a profit. Their large numbers cause disruption and even shortages in districts particularly popular with these traders.
This has provoked ugly scenes where demonstrators have clashed both with the traders and the police. Chief Executive C. Y. Leung has taken up the problem with the central Chinese authorities. The debate is about whether numbers should be limited in some way or whether the Honk Kong authorities should not rather cooperate with those in Shenzhen to impose punitive customs duties on those traders who abuse the system. Those in favour of the latter, point out that there is no problem in Macau, since this is exactly what the Macau authorities do. Moreover, many Mainlanders who have children attending schools in HK would be hit by limits on the number of visits allowed; besides which Hong Kong benefits from the trade and jobs accruing from this traffic.
This has provoked ugly scenes where demonstrators have clashed both with the traders and the police. Chief Executive C. Y. Leung has taken up the problem with the central Chinese authorities. The debate is about whether numbers should be limited in some way or whether the Honk Kong authorities should not rather cooperate with those in Shenzhen to impose punitive customs duties on those traders who abuse the system. Those in favour of the latter, point out that there is no problem in Macau, since this is exactly what the Macau authorities do. Moreover, many Mainlanders who have children attending schools in HK would be hit by limits on the number of visits allowed; besides which Hong Kong benefits from the trade and jobs accruing from this traffic.