The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) will sign with the Mainland the Co-operation Arrangement between the Mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Establishment of the Port at the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link for Implementing Co-location Arrangement tomorrow (November 18), so as to formally commence the "Three-step Process" in taking forward the relevant tasks of implementing Hong Kong and Mainland customs, immigration, quarantine and relevant procedures at the West Kowloon Station (WKS) of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) (hereinafter referred as "co-location arrangement").

     The Chief Executive and the Governor of Guangdong Province will sign the Co-operation Arrangement in Hong Kong at noon tomorrow. Pursuant to the "Three-step Process" proposal, the HKSAR Government will then jointly seek with the Mainland side a decision by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress approving and endorsing the Co-operation Arrangement, and thereafter commence the local legislative process accordingly to ensure timely implementation of the co-location arrangement at the WKS, with a view to fully unleashing the transport, social and economic benefits of the Hong Kong Section of the XRL and maximising convenience to passengers.

     The HKSAR Government announced the "Three-step Process" proposal on July 25, 2017, regarding the implementation of the co-location arrangement at the WKS. Following widespread discussions in the community of Hong Kong, including the passage of a motion on supporting the HKSAR Government to take forward the relevant tasks of the co-location arrangement pursuant to the "Three-step Process" proposal at the Legislative Council on November 15, 2017, the HKSAR will jointly proceed with such relevant tasks with the Mainland, so as to meet the target of implementing the co-location arrangement at the WKS upon the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of the XRL in the third quarter of 2018.

Ends/Friday, November 17, 2017
Issued at HKT 16:00

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