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2026
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government conducted its first large-scale drill at the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area today to prepare for the port’s upcoming official opening. The exercise mobilised approximately 1,000 civil servants from over 20 departments. It successfully tested the overall management of passenger and vehicular flows at both the port building and the public transport interchange (PTI). During the drill, participants took various modes of public transport, including franchised buses, short-haul cross-boundary coaches, green minibuses and taxis, to reach the PTI on the second floor of the port building. They then proceeded through the fifth-floor departure hall and the fourth-floor arrival hall before returning to the PTI to leave the port. Participants and operator-dispatched vehicles conducted cyclical trials involving more than 120 departures to simulate realistic arrival and departure conditions. The trials operations specifically assessed passenger and vehicular flow management, passageway capacity, on-site guidance, traffic control and various supporting facilities. Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan inspected the drill on-site. Mr Tang noted that the entire drill flowed smoothly and achieved its expected testing objectives through close interdepartmental co-operation. He added that identified areas for improvement will be addressed in subsequent exercises, with larger drills planned for the future to ensure comprehensive preparation for the port’s opening. Ms Chan stated that this initial drill primarily tested local and cross-boundary public transport services alongside their ancillary arrangements. She highlighted that passengers boarding, alighting, queuing and traffic management all operated smoothly, delivering a positive passenger experience. The Transport & Logistics Bureau and the Transport Department will continue to refine these arrangements based on user needs. A wide range of bureaus, departments and public transport operators took part in the exercise. Participants included the Security Bureau, the Transport & Logistics Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force, the Transport Department, the Highways Department, the Immigration Department, the Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department, the Department of Health and the Fire Services Department. Also participating were the Architectural Services Department, the Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, the Government Property Agency, the Digital Policy Office, the Office of the Communications Authority, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department, the Civil Aid Service and the Auxiliary Medical Service. Meanwhile, the Transport Department confirmed it will continue conducting road and facility testing with operators. Ongoing tasks include evaluating transit routes and facilities, training bus drivers and testing traffic diversions – all of which have progressed smoothly. The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to run drills of various scales to assess the capacity of the Huanggang Port and its surrounding infrastructure. It remains in close liaison with Shenzhen authorities to press ahead with preparatory tasks, and the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will announce the official opening date once the port is fully ready for safe and smooth operation.
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said today that at least 100 different types of exercises will be conducted before the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area is considered ready for opening, in order to ensure smooth and safe operations at the port. Mr Tang made his remarks after touring the port area with Legislative Council members this morning. “Regarding the opening time of this port area, what we need to do is, first of all, we have to make sure all the installations are okay, all the signals are okay, and we will have at least 100 different types of exercises before we consider the opening of the port area.” He added that some of these will be large-scale cross-boundary exercises conducted jointly with the Shenzhen side and involving at least over 10,000 participants. “When we consider that the operation is smooth and safe, then we will join with the Shenzhen side to consider when to open. It is both of our wishes that it will be opened as soon as possible.”
Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung today inspected the newly established Hong Kong Port Area at the Huanggang Port to review preparations ahead of its official opening. The Hong Kong Port Area officially went into operation at midnight today. It is now subject to the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in accordance with Hong Kong SAR laws. During his visit to the Huanggang Port Building, Mr Tang toured several key levels to check the installation progress of various facilities. He visited the public transport interchange, passenger clearance halls, vehicle clearance facilities and the immigration clearance hall for on-board passengers. He also assessed advanced clearing systems, including the “collaborative inspection” automated channels, manual counters and “joint one-stop” vehicle lanes. Mr Tang chaired a meeting with representatives from the Transport & Logistics Bureau, Transport Department, Highways Department, Architectural Services Department, Electrical & Mechanical Services Department, Government Property Agency, Police Force, Fire Services Department, Immigration Department, Customs & Excise Department, Department of Health and other departments to discuss works progress, system testing and emergency arrangements to ensure robust port operations. The Hong Kong SAR Government will maintain close co-operation with Shenzhen authorities to advance remaining preparatory tasks. The official opening date will be finalised and announced to the public once both sides confirm the port is ready for safe and smooth operations.
Hong Kong and Shenzhen today signed two documents relating to the implementation of new arrangements at the redeveloped Huanggang Port. The “Co-operation Arrangement between the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government (SZMG) and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Implementation of Colocation Arrangement at the Huanggang Port” was signed by Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung and SZMG Vice Mayor Luo Huanghao at the Central Government Offices. The document gives effect to co-operation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen on implementing a co-location arrangement at the port. Meanwhile, the Security Bureau and the SZMG’s Office of Port of Entry & Exit signed the “Agreement on the Right to Use the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area and Related Extended Areas”, which allows the Hong Kong SAR Government to acquire, by way of a lease, the right to use these areas, collectively referred to as the Hong Kong Port Area. The lease will commence on the day on which the areas are commissioned and will expire on June 30, 2047. On the expiry, the lease may be renewed with a decision by the National People’s Congress. The SZMG will meet the design and construction costs of the entire Huanggang Port Redevelopment Project. The Hong Kong SAR Government will pay the SZMG a nominal rent of RMB1,000 per year. Mr Tang thanked the central authorities for their staunch support in implementing the co-location arrangement and establishing the Hong Kong Port Area. The latter will be established at midnight tonight and will be subject to the jurisdiction of the Hong Kong SAR in accordance with the city’s laws. The security chief said the signing of the two documents marks an important milestone in preparatory work for the port’s opening. He added: “The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to work closely with the Shenzhen side to take forward various preparatory tasks in an orderly manner, including system testing, and operational and emergency drills, to ensure that all facilities and operational arrangements at the Port are sound and comprehensive.” Upon confirmation that the port is ready for operation, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will finalise and announce an official opening date.
The Customs & Excise Department, in collaboration with the Immigration Department, conducted a joint counter-terrorism exercise today at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point. About 100 officers from both departments participated in the drill. The exercise simulated a joint operation during a major festival, targeting an outbound private car with a driver and passenger suspected of being linked to terrorist activities. Officers detected suspected terrorism-related items and forged travel documents inside the vehicle. During the examination, a suspected bomb device was discovered at the outbound private car kiosk. Officers immediately initiated an emergency plan and evacuated everyone at the scene in a safe and orderly manner. This exercise enhanced frontline officers' counter-terrorism awareness and intelligence-handling capabilities. It also strengthened inter-departmental co-ordination and communication in response to terrorism-related emergencies, protecting public safety and safeguarding national security.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders can now visit Nicaragua without a visa for up to 30 days, the Immigration Department announced today. Starting from today they will also be able to enjoy visa-free travel to the Solomon Islands for up to 30 days. Concurrently, nationals of Nicaragua and Solomon Islands can now visit Hong Kong visa-free for up to 30 days. Highlighting that both Nicaragua and the Solomon Islands are part of the Belt & Road Initiative, the department said the new arrangements bring greater travel convenience to travellers from all three places, while strengthening Hong Kong’s ties with Nicaragua and the Solomon Islands in terms of tourism, culture and economy. A total of 178 countries and territories now allow visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to Hong Kong SAR passport holders.
Six pieces of subsidiary legislation relating to the operation of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area and Related Extended Areas, collectively known as the Hong Kong Port Area, were published today in the Government Gazette. The six pieces of legislation are designed to support the operational needs of the Hong Kong Port Area after the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Ordinance is commissioned on July 31. The redeveloped Huanggang Port in Shenzhen is implementing a “colocation arrangement”, meaning that Hong Kong and Mainland immigration and customs clearance will occur in the same building, on the Shenzhen side, rather than at two separate checkpoints. The designated Hong Kong Port Area is part of this combined facility, which is being positioned as the most important 24-hour passenger land boundary control point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. The new regulations grant entry and exit permissions for cross-boundary drivers, passengers and other travellers. With regard to law enforcement, the subsidiary legislation will allow detention quarters to be set up at the Hong Kong Port Area, allowing the Immigration Department to carry out routine immigration control and law enforcement duties. Additionally, with the Hong Kong Port Area designated as a specified control point, people carrying a large quantity of currency or cash-equivalents with a total value more than $120,000 will have to make a declaration to Hong Kong Customs. On the traffic and transport management fronts, the “permitted area” for New Territories taxis will be expanded to all roads within the Hong Kong Port Area. The subsidiary legislation also exempts Mainland mobile network operators approved by the Mainland authorities from the requirement to provide public mobile radiocommunications services in the Hong Kong Port Area. The Government stressed that the subsidiary legislation will enable various departments to discharge their duties in the Hong Kong Port Area in accordance with the law and to facilitate preparatory work for the official opening of the Huanggang Port to the public. This work includes a series of system tests, trials and drills due to be conducted jointly with the Mainland authorities, to ensure that all operational and clearance arrangements are sound and comprehensive. The Government will table the subsidiary legislation in the Legislative Council for negative vetting.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) and relevant central ministries today held the ninth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in & Contribution to the Belt & Road Initiative in Beijing. Secretary for Justice Paul Lam, in his capacity as chairperson of the Working Group on Belt & Road Development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development, led a delegation to attend the conference. NDRC Vice Chairman Zhou Haibing also attended the meeting, alongside representatives from the commission, the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and the Supreme People's Court. Other attendees included representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Commerce, the People's Bank of China, the State-owned Assets Supervision & Administration Commission of the State Council, the National Financial Regulatory Administration, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR. Addressing the conference, Mr Lam said the Hong Kong SAR Government has been taking forward Belt & Road co-operation to achieve deeper and more concrete outcomes, fully participating in and contributing to the initiative under the guidance of major national steps to support high-quality co-operation and integrate into national development. He expressed gratitude to the central government for its staunch support for hosting the International Organization for Mediation headquarters in Hong Kong, emphasising that this will strengthen the city’s role as an international dispute resolution services centre as well as a hub for international mediation. He added that public consultation is underway on formulating Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan, which outlines directions to deepen participation in the initiative and enable the city to better leverage its unique advantages under "one country, two systems". Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau, who serves as the Hong Kong-side Convenor of the Joint Conference, highlighted the Hong Kong SAR Government’s commitment to promoting all-round, multifaceted cooperation under the initiative. During the meeting, Mr Yau reported on relevant work progress, including forging additional free trade and investment agreements, advancing plans to establish a new Economic & Trade Office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and accelerating the work of the Task Force on Supporting Mainland Enterprises in Going Global to help Mainland businesses expand overseas through Hong Kong's platform. Today’s session also covered work proposals submitted by the Hong Kong SAR Government for consideration by central ministries, alongside Hong Kong’s key priority areas for future participation in the initiative, while representatives from relevant Mainland ministries detailed their supportive measures and provided feedback on the proposals.
Secretary for Justice Paul Lam will lead a delegation of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government officials departing for Beijing tomorrow to attend the ninth Joint Conference on Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt & Road Initiative on Friday morning. Heading the delegation, Mr Lam serves as the chair of the sub-group on Belt & Road development under the Steering Group on Integration into National Development. The delegation includes Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau and Under Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Joseph Chan. Mr Lam will return to Hong Kong on Friday afternoon. During Mr Lam's absence, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan will be Acting Secretary for Justice. Meanwhile, Under Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Bernard Chan will serve as Acting Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development in Mr Yau’s absence.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today welcomed the Legislative Council’s passage of the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill. The bill’s passage marks a major milestone in implementing the central authorities’ authorisation. It provides a legal basis for the co-location arrangement at the redeveloped port and advances preparatory work for its opening. Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said the redevelopment is a key project proactively aligning the Hong Kong SAR Government with the country's 15th Five-Year Plan. It will better integrate the city into national development and enhance the infrastructure connectivity of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. “Huanggang Port is also an important project to improve people's livelihoods,” Mr Tang said. “Getting the port ready for a smooth opening at an early date is the expectation of the general public and the common goal of the governments of Hong Kong and Shenzhen to facilitate cross-boundary travel and the two-way flow of people between the two places,” he added. The Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Ordinance will be published in the Government Gazette on July 20 and take effect on July 31. The official establishment of the port area allows Hong Kong and Shenzhen to fully launch subsequent preparations. These tasks include joint system tests, trials and drills to ensure that all facilities and operational plans are ready. The Hong Kong SAR Government will continue to work closely with Guangdong and Shenzhen authorities to advance preparations. Once both sides confirm the port is ready for safe operation, the governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong will finalise and announce the official opening date.