Joephy Chan says turning better connectivity into tangible development outcomes and realizing the crossing’s long-term value should head SAR’s priorities
The redeveloped Huanggang Port opened on Oct 12, providing around-the-clock clearance for cross-boundary passengers and passenger vehicles traveling between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Under the new arrangements, the port adopts a “one-stop” immigration clearance model, with both sides conducting inspections jointly and passengers cleared in a single pass. The overall clearance time falls from around 30 minutes to about five minutes, while the port is designed to handle up to 200,000 passenger trips a day.
This upgrade to cross-boundary infrastructure creates fresh opportunities for Hong Kong to build on its international strengths and deepen its integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Faster clearance reduces the time and cost of cross-boundary travel. More importantly, it gives Hong Kong a chance to strengthen its links with international markets and the Greater Bay Area’s industrial resources, turning improved connectivity into a competitive advantage. In the competition among global cities, international influence depends on more than strength in finance, trade and professional services. It also rests on a city’s ability to connect markets, attract talent and resources, and offer international businesses access to wider economic opportunities. Hong Kong has an international business environment, a well-established professional services sector and extensive global connections. Meanwhile, the mainland side of the Greater Bay Area benefits from vibrant tech innovation, comprehensive industrial supply chains and a vast market. These strengths are complementary, yet their potential will be fully realized only when businesses and people can move between the two sides efficiently.
The ease of cross-boundary travel, business engagement and resource flows can make a significant difference to whether opportunities translate into tangible results. By reducing travel costs between Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the new Huanggang Port will make it easier for businesses, professionals and talent to move between the two cities, strengthening Hong Kong’s role as a bridge between international markets and the whole Greater Bay Area. One immediate area in which this connectivity can make a difference is business cooperation. Hong Kong has strengths in international finance, law, accounting, intellectual property and other professional services, while Shenzhen is home to a large number of technology companies, research and development resources, and real-world applications for new technologies. For technology companies seeking to expand overseas, Hong Kong can provide financing, legal advice and access to international business networks, while Shenzhen offers technological expertise, supply-chain support and opportunities to test and commercialize innovations.
More convenient cross-boundary transport will make it easier for executives, specialists and business partners to arrange face-to-face meetings, exchange technical knowledge and visit project sites, reducing the time and coordination costs involved in cross-boundary cooperation.
International companies that can access global capital and professional services through Hong Kong while drawing on the industrial resources of Shenzhen and other Greater Bay Area cities will also be better placed to expand their operations. This would allow Hong Kong to broaden the scope of its services, extending its contribution beyond its local economy and established international business to support industrial development across the Greater Bay Area and the region’s engagement with overseas markets.
Closer Greater Bay Area integration also offers Hong Kong a practical way to strengthen its international profile by making it easier for international visitors and businesspeople to travel between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland and to conduct business, shop and engage with local communities once they arrive. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the city welcomed approximately 49.9 million visitors in 2025, including around 12.1 million from outside the mainland. These figures point to Hong Kong’s established role in connecting international visitors with the wider region.
On the day the redeveloped Huanggang Port opened, a service station for travelers from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas was also launched. It provided on-site consultations, emergency assistance, and guidance on payments and transportation to more than 100 people in its first group of users. The station offers service guidance in more than 150 languages, and travelers can seek assistance with matters such as social security applications, linking payment functions and starting a business. Such services address practical challenges that international visitors may encounter when entering a new market, including language barriers, payment arrangements and access to local services. They also highlight the importance of making cross-border travel convenient throughout the visitor experience, rather than focusing solely on immigration clearance. By working with Shenzhen and other Greater Bay Area cities to improve services for international visitors and businesses, Hong Kong can help overseas travelers and companies gain easier access to the region’s industries, commercial opportunities and everyday life. Firsthand visits, business partnerships and cultural exchanges can deepen international understanding of the Greater Bay Area and reinforce Hong Kong’s distinctive role in connecting global markets with opportunities on the mainland. However, for these benefits to generate lasting economic and social value improved port facilities must be supported by coordinated transport planning and industrial development. Hong Kong’s first five-year plan proposes making better use of the redeveloped Huanggang Port and advancing the Northern Link, which will connect the railway network to the new port. The port’s role should therefore extend beyond serving as an immigration checkpoint. It should be integrated more closely with the transport network, industrial development and talent strategy of the Northern Metropolis. As related transport projects progress, connectivity between northern Hong Kong and Shenzhen is expected to improve further, creating more favorable conditions for business cooperation, talent mobility and innovation-driven industries.
Yet transport infrastructure alone cannot create industrial clusters. Industrial space, research facilities, talent services and supporting amenities must also be developed in tandem. Only when people can reach these development areas conveniently, and businesses and professionals have the conditions they need to work and live there, can the port’s connectivity advantages become a lasting source of growth. From the perspective of international influence, Hong Kong needs to demonstrate how its established strengths as an international financial center and trade hub can help connect the Greater Bay Area with the global economy. The redeveloped Huanggang Port provides more convenient cross-boundary access, while the extent to which it attracts international companies, talent and visitors to engage meaningfully with the region will depend on effective cooperation mechanisms, professional services and a smooth cross-boundary experience.
By making fuller use of its global connections and professional expertise, strengthening industrial collaboration with Shenzhen and other Greater Bay Area cities, improving services for international visitors and businesses, and coordinating these efforts with the development of the Northern Metropolis and its transport links, Hong Kong can turn geographical proximity into closer economic ties and broader international cooperation. The opening of the revamped Huanggang Port has shortened travel times and created more favorable conditions for frequent and substantive exchanges between Hong Kong and the other side of the Greater Bay Area. The region offers Hong Kong access to a wider industrial base and a larger market, while Hong Kong can draw on its strengths to help mainland businesses connect with global capital, companies and talent. The extent to which the two sides capitalize on these complementary advantages will shape Hong Kong’s future role in the regional economy and its ability to remain competitive internationally. Faster clearance is only the starting point. Turning better connectivity into tangible development outcomes and realizing the port’s long-term value should now be among Hong Kong’s key priorities.
The author is a member of the Legislative Council and the UN Association of China.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
