Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point to implement joint boundary control system

The Liantang Port/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point will soon implement the joint boundary control system, meaning travelers will only need to go through immigration procedures once at the land port, a Shenzhen government port official said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press today, Wang Gang, chief of Shenzhen Exit and Entry Port Office, said the land control point will soon implement a new clearance mode - "collaborative inspection and joint clearance", a concept similar to the joint boundary control system.

Under such clearance mode, automatic channels or counters for both outbound and inbound visitors will be set up side by side at the boundary inside a control point. Visitors only need to queue up and have their documents inspected once to pass through the immigration facilities of both sides and complete the respective immigration procedures.

Meanwhile, Wang revealed that the renovated Huanggang port will be in operation in 2026 with the co-location arrangement implemented, but he said the clearance mode will also be based on the "collaborative inspection and joint clearance" approach.

The Lok Ma Chau border control point can then be removed after Huanggang port reopened, and the land can be used to develop a technology park, said Wang.

Separately, a “Frequent travelers scheme” will be rolled out at the Luohu Port and more new facilities such as free wifi and money changers will be installed to boost Hongkongers’ spending in the mainland.

Wang said the Luohu checkpoint remained the most-used port after the reopening of borders between the mainland and Hong Kong.

From January 8 to August 8 (Mon), there were 23 million people using the checkpoint to cross the border, he said.

“Although the Luohu port is the most frequently-used port, its growth lagged behind other ports, especially Liantang, Futian and West Kowloon ports,” Wang said.

“As facilities are getting rather old at the Luohu port, we are therefore preparing to improve facilities and immigration capabilities to transform the port,” he added.

But Wang emphasized that the Luohu port will not be demolished and reconstructed.

One of the policies would be the implementation of a “frequent traveler” scheme to facilitate frequent cross-border travelers.

Wang said students, businessmen, IT personnel and people in specified groups who registered themselves as frequent travelers will have a more convenient border crossing.

Furthermore, Shenzhen authorities are also preparing to install Renminbi money exchange shops and wifi coverage at the Luohu port to encourage more Hongkongers spending across the border.

Authorities will also post the QR code for travelers to download the mobile payment applications, Wang added.