*********************************************
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in a media session after officiating at the ceremony of the Safe Driving and Health Campaign for Commercial Vehicle Drivers today (November 20):
Reporter: What will you be discussing with officials in Beijing and will concerns about the progress of rail works and co-location arrangements also be discussed?
Secretary for Transport and Housing: The implementation of CIQ (customs, immigration and quarantine) co-location at the future West Kowloon Terminus of the (Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong) Express Rail (Link) has always been on the Government's agenda. The objective is that when the Express Rail is commissioned, then that's the time for co-location of CIQ. Co-location requires not just the physical facility but also an appropriate legislative, legal framework so that Mainland officials within the future Mainland border area will be able to execute relevant Mainland CIQ regulations. This is, unavoidably, an issue that will involve constitutional and legal issues. Sometimes these issues might be complicated. However, we are confident that we'll be able to find a suitable arrangement because even overseas, sometimes you have co-location of CIQ involving two different sovereign nations, whether between Canada and the US, or between France and the UK. At the moment, we are heading towards the right direction. Of course, it's not just about principles but also the actual arrangements. We have to imagine how to deal with different situations within such a framework.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Friday, November 20, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:22
NNNN
