The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has gazetted the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill to implement the relevant authorization from the central government, providing the legal basis for implementing the "one stop, two inspections" arrangement at the reconstructed Huanggang Port. The bill was introduced for its first and second readings at the Legislative Council today (July 15). Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung told the media that the Legislative Council has agreed to convene an additional meeting tomorrow afternoon to expedite the legislative process.
Tang said the Huanggang Port reconstruction project is one of the key projects for the SAR government to implement the national development strategy, and is also a major livelihood project long-awaited by the public. The new Huanggang Port will continue to provide 24-hour clearance services and implement the "one stop, two inspections" arrangement along with the "joint inspection, one-stop clearance" model, similar to the practice at Shenzhen Bay Port. Clearance time at the new Huanggang Port will be significantly reduced from 30 minutes to approximately 5 minutes, with daily passenger flow capacity increasing from 40,000 to about 200,000, and further to approximately 300,000 per day after the opening of the MTR Northern Link spur line. The main structure of the new joint inspection building has been completed, and Hong Kong and Shenzhen are jointly advancing the interior construction.
Tang emphasized that both the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and the State Council have issued approvals for the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area and related extension areas to be activated from July 31 this year. The SAR government must complete local legislation before midnight on July 31. To expedite the legislative process, the Legislative Council's House Committee has accepted the government's application and decided to hold a special meeting tomorrow afternoon. Additionally, to allow Legislative Council members to better understand the progress of the new Huanggang Port, Tang said four briefing sessions would be held this afternoon.
Regarding the target date for opening, Tang said no specific date has been set yet. All construction work, including interior facilities and testing, will be completed as soon as possible. The port will open once its operation is confirmed to be smooth. He noted that the new joint inspection building's vertical design — five stories above ground and three below — is more complex than the Shenzhen Bay Port design, citing signal coordination as one of the key points requiring communication. Free Wi-Fi service will be provided at the building.
Tang pointed out that the bill is modeled on the Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area Ordinance (Cap. 591), and the two are broadly similar in structure. The main provisions of the bill include: declaring certain areas within the Huanggang Port located in Mainland China as the Hong Kong Port Area; applying Hong Kong law to the Hong Kong Port Area and providing for the jurisdiction of Hong Kong courts in this regard; extending the territorial limits of certain rights and obligations to include the Hong Kong Port Area; and establishing provisions to assist in interpreting certain future documents and court orders.
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