The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s legislature on Friday passed the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill, establishing a legal basis for the new land crossing’s co-location arrangement.
The bill also paves the way for the Hong Kong Port Area’s operation under the jurisdiction of Hong Kong SAR laws starting July 31.
The date on which the port would officially open to the public is to be determined jointly by the Guangdong and Hong Kong authorities.
Spanning nearly 700,000 square meters and located east of the Lok Ma Chau port, the new Huanggang port is being constructed next to the current location, with the capacity to handle a flow of 200,000 passenger trips and 15,000 vehicle crossings daily.
The new port will apply a co-location immigration arrangement, allowing travelers to complete border clearance by having their documents inspected only once.
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The bill, gazetted on Tuesday, underwent first and second readings on Wednesday’s Legislative Council meeting, and was passed after a four-hour debate in a special plenary meeting on Friday. It also need to be signed by the Chief Executive and promulgated in the official gazette to take effect.
On June 26, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress authorized the Hong Kong SAR to exercise jurisdiction over the new Huanggang port’s Hong Kong Port Area and related extension zones.
The State Council on July 8 stipulated the specific co-ordinates and area of the Hong Kong Port Area, and agreed that the Hong Kong Port Area is to be commissioned beginning at 12 am on July 31.
