Settling Shenzhen and Hong Kong cross-border students’ identity predicament: towards a new form of regional citizenship

National-level processes have been given a central position in the study of borders, citizenship, and mobility. There are reasons for such ‘methodological nationalism’ as people’s movement is usually international. The phenomenon of cross-border students (CBS) between Shenzhen and Hong Kong presents a unique case because the border between these two regions does not easily conform into the categories of an international border or internal boundary. Despite holding Hong Kong permanent residency, CBS often find themselves torn between their mainland Chinese and Hong Kong identities, as they are not fully accepted by either side of the border. This paper focuses on the factors behind the identity predicament faced by CBS and discusses their consequences, not only for the children and their families but also for the shifting dynamics of the mainland China-Hong Kong border. This paper presents two primary arguments: 1) The Chinese government views the identity predicament of CBS as part of the broader ‘Hong Kong problem’, seen as a potential threat to national sovereignty; 2) China’s efforts to mitigate the identity predicament are linked to its goal of promoting integration between mainland China and Hong Kong, paving the way for a new form of regional citizenship.