CE attends opening ceremony of Huanggang Port (with photos)
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The National 15th Five-Year Plan proposed consolidating and enhancing the role of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an engine for high-quality development, as well as strengthening regional infrastructure connectivity. The redevelopment of the Huanggang Port signifies the proactive alignment of the HKSAR Government with national development strategies, representing a key project through which Hong Kong actively integrates into and serves the overall national development. The Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan announced by the HKSAR Government last month explicitly set out to leverage the strengths of the redeveloped Huanggang Port, implement the co-location arrangement, and adopt the novel "collaborative inspection and joint clearance" mode. The official opening of the Huanggang Port signifies a major milestone achieved by Hong Kong and Shenzhen in enhancing the layout of boundary control points, and improving clearance efficiency, and facilitating cross-boundary flow of people.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Lee said that the Huanggang Port redevelopment project is a landmark undertaking built upon the close partnership and concerted efforts between Hong Kong and Shenzhen for joint contribution and shared benefits. The official opening of the redeveloped port reflects that connectivity within the Greater Bay Area has reached a new height, serving as a faithful demonstration promoting "hard connectivity" in infrastructure, fostering "soft connectivity" of rules and mechanisms, and achieving "connectivity of hearts" between the residents of the Mainland and Hong Kong.
The redeveloped Huanggang Port is positioned as the most important 24-hour passenger land boundary control point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The design flow of the redeveloped Huanggang Port is 200 000 passenger trips per day, and could be further increased to about 300 000 upon the future commissioning of the Northern Link Spur Line of the MTR Corporation Limited. With the staunch support of the Central Authorities, the Huanggang Port implements the co-location arrangement with clearly delineated Hong Kong Port Area and Mainland Port Area. The Huanggang Port is also the first land boundary control point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen adopting the "collaborative inspection and joint clearance" mode, further enhancing passenger clearance experience and efficiency. Under this new clearance mode, clearance time will be significantly reduced from around 30 minutes at the original Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port, to approximately five minutes.
The 23rd Meeting of the 14th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) passed the decision to authorise the HKSAR to exercise jurisdiction over the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area and Related Extended Areas (Hong Kong Port Area) on June 26 this year. Subsequently, the State Council issued an Official Reply on July 8, stipulating the specific co-ordinates and area of the Hong Kong Port Area, and agreeing that the Hong Kong Port Area is to be commissioned beginning at 00.00 hours of July 31, 2026, and is to be subject to the jurisdiction of the HKSAR in accordance with the laws of the HKSAR. The Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Ordinance (Cap. 659), together with the relevant subsidiary legislation, came into operation on July 31.
Since the establishment of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area on July 31, the HKSAR Government has been pressing ahead at full steam with the various preparatory tasks for the opening of the port, including conducting drills and tests of various scales, as well as continuously enhancing detailed arrangements to prepare comprehensively for the opening of the port. Having confirmed that the port is ready for safe, smooth and efficient operation, Hong Kong and Shenzhen issued a joint statement on October 9, announcing that the redeveloped Huanggang Port will officially open at 6.30am of October 12, 2026, providing 24-hour clearance services for passengers and passenger vehicles.
Officials of the HKSAR Government attending the ceremony included the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan; the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC; the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau; the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn; the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Miss Janice Tse; the Commissioner of Police, Mr Chow Yat-ming; the Director of Immigration, Mr Benson Kwok; the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Chan Tsz-tat; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office, Ms Carol Yip.
Ends/Sunday, October 11, 2026
Issued at HKT 15:20
Issued at HKT 15:20
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