More Hong Kong border checkpoints with mainland China to operate around clock in bid to boost business in Greater Bay Area, new action plan says
The document focused on alignment of business rules and standards in the bay area with international norms and the setting up of a market-oriented, law-based and global business environment.
“[We will] adopt new customs clearance models such as the ‘co-location arrangement’ and the ‘collaborative inspection and joint clearance’ mode at more control points,” the action plan said.
The document added authorities wanted to “promote the implementation of ‘24-hour customs clearance’ at more crossings based on actual needs.”
Just two of Hong Kong’s 14 mainland border checkpoints, the Lok Ma Chau Control Point and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Hong Kong Port, open round the clock, which lawmaker Lau Kwok-fan thought was “not enough” to achieve the action plan’s goals.
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He suggested that another three border checkpoints – Shenzhen Bay Port, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and Heung Yuen Wai – should be open 24 hours a day to ease the flow of people and goods.
“It is important for different local governments to enhance communication, remove facilities and artificial barriers at checkpoints, and eliminate the influence of territorial boundaries between Hong Kong and Shenzhen,” Lau said on Monday.
He predicted 24-hour access through any checkpoint would help Hong Kong’s integration into national development and allow it to take part at a higher level.
The plan also said it wanted to increase the bay area’s international competitiveness and take it to a leading position worldwide.
It asked bay area authorities on the Chinese side to lure Hong Kong talent to the other cities through measures such as equity incentives, cross-border recognition of occupational qualifications and the provision of private medical insurance.
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The document added it wanted more effort to be made to end differential treatment faced by Hong Kong enterprises to better promote the implementation of fair competition policies in the nine mainland bay area cities.
Areas of differential treatment highlighted were bidding and tendering, government procurement and protection of rights and interests, which would only apply to industries not covered in the mainland’s “Negative List” on foreign investment access.
Other priorities listed in the plan include a streamlined visa system for foreign nationals with Hong Kong permanent resident ID cards to conduct scientific, educational, cultural, and health exchanges in mainland China.