​The 23rd Meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPCSC) today passed a decision to authorise the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to exercise jurisdiction over the Hong Kong Port Area and other areas at the Huanggang Port.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government expresses gratitude to the central authorities for their support in establishing the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area.

It said that the NPCSC's decision reflects the central authorities' high regard for Hong Kong and their support for it to better integrate into and serve national development.

The Government said the move is of great strategic significance in strengthening infrastructure connectivity between Hong Kong and the Mainland, enhancing interactions between the two places, and advancing the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). It added that it offers a clear demonstration of the advantages of “one country, two systems”.

The Huanggang Port redevelopment project is a key initiative in which the Hong Kong SAR Government is contributing to the implementation of national development strategies. The redeveloped port will be positioned as the most important 24-hour passenger land boundary control point between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. It will implement the “co-location arrangement” and the novel “collaborative inspection and joint clearance” mode to enhance passenger clearance.

Clearance time at the new Huanggang Port will be significantly reduced from around 30 minutes at the existing Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang Port to approximately five minutes. Flows at the new Huanggang Port will increase to 200,000 passenger trips per day, and this could be further increased to about 300,000 upon commissioning of the MTR Corporation's Northern Link Spur Line.

The NPCSC decided that the Hong Kong SAR is authorised to exercise – with effect from the day on which the Hong Kong Port Area and “Related Extended Areas” at the Huanggang Port are commissioned – jurisdiction over those areas in accordance with the laws of the HKSAR.

The areas over which the Hong Kong SAR is authorised to exercise jurisdiction comprise the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area, the deck of the Shenzhen section of the Lok Ma Chau Bridge connecting the port, the interior of the bridge box girders accessible via the bridge deck, and the surfaces of connecting roads. The dates of commissioning of the areas, and their specific coordinates and size, are to be determined by the State Council. The use of the areas is not to be altered within the specified period.

The Hong Kong SAR Government acquires by way of a lease the right to use the Hong Kong Port Area and “Related Extended Areas” at the Huanggang Port. The term of the lease will commence on the day on which the relevant areas are commissioned and will expire on June 30, 2047.

On expiry of the term of the lease, the term of the lease may be renewed at the discretion of the NPCSC.

Upon receiving a determination from the State Council on the commissioning date of the Hong Kong Port Area and the related areas, the Hong Kong SAR Government will introduce a bill in the Legislative Council as soon as is practicable.