Hong Kong should copy Macau method of quickly processing travellers to mainland China with single identity card check: pro-Beijing party DAB
- Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) makes call as authorities discuss checkpoint upgrades under Northern Metropolis scheme
- Legislators point to automated model which cuts out second identity card check regularly required at crossings with mainland
Hong Kong should copy Macau’s method of quickly processing travellers heading to mainland China by requiring they present their identity cards only once when crossing the border, a pro-Beijing party has said.
The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) made the call on Wednesday as authorities began discussing upgrades to seven checkpoints along the border with Shenzhen under the planned Northern Metropolis scheme.
“As the Northern Metropolis develops, border traffic between Hong Kong and the mainland will increase. Our border crossings must become more convenient and innovative,” said lawmaker Edward Lau Kwok-fan, who chairs the Legco subcommittee on the development of the scheme.
Originally proposed under Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s administration, the Northern Metropolis megaproject aims to to create an international innovation and technology hub, as well as housing for 2.5 million people, in the northern New Territories.
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In a paper submitted to the legislature last week, the Security Bureau said it would use the automated model adopted by Macau in the rebuilt Huanggang port when it reopened in 2025, and was discussing with Shenzhen authorities on how the procedures could be used in the Sha Tau Kok control point after its reconstruction.
Responding to a Post inquiry, a bureau spokeswoman said the government was exploring implementing the single-check clearance at Sha Tau Kok and would consider it for any new crossings in the future.
The pro-Beijing party suggested authorities look to the Hengqin and Qingmao checkpoints linking Macau and the mainland city of Zhuhai as examples.
The bureau spokeswoman said Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung had visited the Qingmao control point in June.
Presenting their proposals, six legislators from the party demonstrated crossing the border at the Hengqin checkpoint with the one-time clearance check via automated lanes. Unlike other points that require separate checks by immigration officers at either side, the facility linking Macau and Zhuhai is an all-in-one clearance.
As part of the three-step clearance procedure, passengers first scan their identity documents before passing through a gate, proceeding to a facial recognition check and then stepping forward for a final verification by their port of entry.
The automated process takes an average of 24 seconds, or as quick as 15 seconds, according to the Public Security Police Force of Macau.
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There are now 50 of what authorities call “joint express inspection channels” in Qingmao, and at least 48 in Hengqin.
So far, three border checkpoints connecting the mainland with Macau have adopted the “collaborative inspection and joint clearance” arrangements.
The Hengqin and Qingmao ports began using the model when they opened in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
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The casino hub’s crossing with the mainland at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge adopted the procedures upon opening in 2018.
Hongkongers using any of the crossing points must register their identity cards in Macau before they can use the fully automated clearance channels.
Residents can register at border checkpoints with Macau 15 minutes before their crossing or at the Immigration Department’s headquarters in Wan Chai three days prior to their departure.
