Customs teams at Shenzhen Bay Port are making final preparations
ahead of the scheduled opening of a new Hong Kong border crossing
on Sunday.
Immigration and customs clearance facilities will be co-located
at the port, the first control point between Shenzhen and Hong Kong
to do so.
Customs officials will number more than 400, with 36 specialist
anti-smuggling officials, Zou Zhiwu, director of Shenzhen Customs,
said.
The customs authorities of mainland and Hong Kong signed a
cooperative memorandum and four practice guidelines on Thursday to
ensure the smooth crossing of people and cargo and strengthen their
efforts on anti-smuggling.
They plan to set up coordination centers for border-crossing
affairs and anti-smuggling.
The Shenzhen Bay Port and the Shenzhen Bay Bridge, also known as
the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor, will open to the public on
Sunday, this weekend, from 6 pm, following a ceremony at noon.
President Hu Jintao, who arrived in Hong Kong on Friday
for the 10th anniversary of the special administrative region, is
expected to attend.
The 5.5 km Shenzhen Bay Bridge is the fourth vehicular boundary
crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. It links the new control
point at the Shenzhen Bay Port in Shekou with Ngau Hom Shek in the
northwest New Territories.
Passengers can cross the boundary through the new crossing by
coach, franchised buses, green minibuses or taxis.
The port operating hours are 6:30 am to midnight, but could be
increased in the future if needed.
It is expected that daily two-way traffic and passenger flows
will number 29,800 vehicles and 30,800 people during initial
periods. Those numbers are expected to double by 2016.
(China Daily June 30, 2007)