Lawmakers pass bill to allow joint-clearance at revamped border crossing in ‘fastest’ round of legislative scrutiny since electoral revamp

Hong Kong lawmakers have swiftly passed a bill that will permit a joint-clearance arrangement at the revamped Huanggang Port, a key border crossing with mainland China. The legislation, officially the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill, was approved on Friday after the Legislative Council (LegCo) convened additional meetings before its summer recess. The government aims to reopen the port, located on the Shenzhen side, allowing travelers to undergo a single set of border checks. The new law designates a specific area within the Huanggang Port as being under Hong Kong's jurisdiction, empowering local authorities to conduct border clearance and related enforcement activities there. The Hong Kong port area is slated to open on July 31, though the exact date for the complex's full public opening is still to be determined by Hong Kong and Shenzhen authorities. The speed at which the bill progressed through LegCo has drawn attention, with local media reporting it as the fastest legislative scrutiny since the 2021 overhaul of the electoral system. The bill underwent its first reading on Wednesday and its second reading on Friday, with intensive review sessions held on Thursday and Friday. Security minister Chris Tang had written to LegCo, urging lawmakers to expedite the process to ensure an early launch for the port. Tang expressed gratitude for the "intensive and highly efficient scrutiny" conducted by the council since the bill's submission on July 15. This joint-clearance model is similar to the one implemented at the West Kowloon High Speed Railway Station, although that arrangement involved a portion of Hong Kong territory being handed over to China.

“

Since the bill was submitted to the Council on July 15, LegCo has immediately convened additional meetings of the House Committee and the Council to conduct intensive and highly efficient scrutiny.