Hong Kong and Shenzhen reach rental agreement for co-locating border checkpoints in new Huanggang port
- Both cities’ immigration facilities to be sited at same Huanggang port building on mainland side, with Hong Kong to pay HK$1,000 in annual rent
- Arrangement will follow the model already in place at Shenzhen Bay, and will remove the requirement for passengers to clear two checkpoints
Hong Kong can set up a border checkpoint in the new Huanggang port on the mainland side for HK$1,000 a year in nominal rent, according to the city’s security minister, under an agreement between neighbouring governments to site their immigration facilities together.
John Lee Ka-chiu also told the Legislative Council on Tuesday that the deal would free up 20 hectares of land in the Hong Kong border area when the Shenzhen complex was completed and the co-location arrangements took effect.
Under the existing system, passengers have to clear checkpoints on both sides of the border – Lok Ma Chau in Hong Kong and Huanggang in Shenzhen.
Opening more than 30 years ago, the land border crossing is the only one between the city and mainland operating 24 hours a day. In 2019, about 68,000 passengers and 19,700 vehicles passed through the checkpoint every day.
Shenzhen announced plans that year to redevelop the Huanggang port building and turn it into a transport hub, as part of its rejuvenation plans. Authorities there proposed to Hong Kong the implementation of a co-location arrangement at the redeveloped port to improve the flow of people across the border.
The new Huanggang port is expected to be completed by the end of 2023, according to Lee, and will have nine floors, with a total floor area of 400,000 square metres, compared with the present 140,000 square metres.
“The redeveloped Huanggang checkpoint could handle up to 100,000 visitors a day,” said Lee, who co-chairs a steering group with Shenzhen officials on the redevelopment project.
“It could help boost the flow of people. Consensus has also been reached that a co-location arrangement would be adopted in the redeveloped port building,” Lee told the security panel.
