Hong Kong and Shenzhen confirm Huanggang Port to open on Monday

The revamped Huanggang border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen will open on Monday, after both sides confirmed the facility was ready for service.

The Hong Kong government said on Friday that the new Huanggang border crossing would commence operations at 6.30am, October 12, replacing the current Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang port as the sole round-the-clock clearance point.

“Acceptance inspection of the new port building of the Huanggang Port has been completed. Following the completion of a series of system tests, trials and emergency drills by both Hong Kong and Shenzhen, it has been confirmed that the port is ready for opening,” it said.

Top Guangdong official Huang Kunming visited the facility on Thursday and called on Shenzhen to use the upgraded border checkpoint to better align with Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis plan, according to state media.

Huang, who serves as the Communist Party of China’s secretary for the province, called the checkpoint a key hub for cross-border exchanges, while its “co-location” clearance arrangement vividly demonstrated “one country, two systems”, the governing principle of Hong Kong.

The opening of the checkpoint was an opportunity for Shenzhen to further align with the Northern Metropolis, he said, referring to the 30,000-hectare (74,131-acre) development close to the border with mainland China.

Shenzhen should also step up personnel exchanges and economic activities with Hong Kong, as well as support the cross-border innovation cooperation zone, Huang added.

Hong Kong’s immigration authorities met their Shenzhen counterparts on Wednesday to discuss arrangements at the facility.

Under the co-location arrangement, the city’s government has set up a Hong Kong area in the building, located on the Shenzhen side of the border.

The Huanggang Port uses a “joint inspection” clearance system, a first for border crossings.

Unlike traditional clearance models, which require passengers to complete departure and arrival processes at different counters, the new arrangement allows them to complete both steps at once by presenting one identity document required by their destination.

The existing Huanggang facility, which has been used for decades, will be decommissioned upon the opening of the new one.