Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office, wrapped up his two-day inspection tour of Hong Kong on Wednesday with visits to the new Huanggang Port and the COSCO-HIT Terminals.
The Huanggang Port is the only 24-hour passenger clearance land crossing between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and currently stands as the world's largest land port.
Xia’s visit comes ahead of a scheduled session where the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress will deliberate on a bill that would authorize Hong Kong to exercise jurisdiction over the port's Hong Kong zone and its relevant extended areas.
While the government has not officially announced when the new Huanggang Port will open, state media reports suggest a launch is anticipated as early as July.
At around 10.45am, Xia and his delegation arrived at the COSCO-HIT Terminals in Kwai Chung, accompanied by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and Liaison Office director Zhou Ji.
During the visit, which lasted more than an hour, Xia observed terminal operations from his vehicle. The delegation then returned to Government House at around 12.30pm for a luncheon before Xia's departure from the city.
Shao Yongming, managing director of Asia Container Terminals, noted that Mable Chan, Secretary for Transport and Logistics, briefed Xia on the overall development of Hong Kong's ports.
Industry representatives also reported to Xia on progress across several key areas, including automation system upgrades, terminal facility renovations, and the construction of a digital port data platform.
Shao also emphasized that Xia showed keen interest in and concern for the future development of the city’s port and logistics sector.
