An upgraded border crossing between Hong Kong and Shenzhen is expected to open next month, allowing travellers to complete immigration in just five minutes, according to authorities. The redeveloped Huanggang Port Building will be the first link between the two cities to adopt the “collaborative inspection and joint clearance” model. The South China Morning Post…
Hong Kong customs has arrested six people over the alleged smuggling and online sale of counterfeit Fifa World Cup merchandise, with an estimated market value of HK$156 million (US$20 million). The Customs and Excise Department said on Thursday it had uncovered 29 suspected smuggling cases and five online sales cases involving World Cup products in…
Visiting indoor ski resorts, enjoying water parks and eating at dim sum restaurants in Shenzhen and other nearby cities have become weekend draws for Hong Kong residents holding foreign passports, who praise a travel permit that has made crossing the border easier and faster. But even two years after the launch of the scheme, some…
Beijing’s top official on Hong Kong and Macau affairs has visited the Hengqin cooperation zone in Zhuhai as part of a drive to help the two special administrative regions align with the nation’s 15th five-year plan. The four-day visit by Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), was his third…
The central government has greenlighted yachts from Hong Kong and Macau to enter nine mainland Chinese cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA) without customs guarantees and with temporary ship registrations. A yacht in Hong Kong. Photo: Shreyaan Vashishtha/Pexels. The State Council said on Friday that the pilot scheme came into effect the same day….
Hong Kong-registered yachts can berth more easily in designated mainland Chinese ports in the Greater Bay Area, as Beijing has waived customs guarantees and simplified administrative procedures. In a directive published on Saturday night, the State Council revamped its maritime policies, allowing Hong Kong and Macau leisure yachts to enter designated mainland ports “exempt from…
A mainland Chinese woman injured while travelling in Hong Kong has become the first patient transferred from the city to the mainland under the Hospital Authority’s cross-border ambulance pilot scheme. The patient, who requested to continue her treatment on the mainland, was transferred from Tuen Mun Hospital to Zhuhai People’s Hospital on Wednesday afternoon, according…
Trial flights for Hong Kong’s first two-tonne electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft could take place within the next six months, initially to transport heavy construction materials to remote sites in the New Territories. Infrastructure consultancy AECOM said once aviation safety for cargo logistics was proved, the potential next step was ecotourism, providing an…
Hong Kong recorded a 4.8 per cent increase in mainland Chinese visitors in the first three days of their Labour Day “golden week” holiday, but industry players warned that uneven spending and more flexible travel patterns could weigh on business despite hotel occupancy rates potentially reaching 90 per cent. Immigration Department data showed mainland Chinese…
Hong Kong’s catering sector and hoteliers are expecting a business boost during the Labour Day “golden week” holiday from May 1 to 5, with industry leaders hoping the growing trend of mainland Chinese visitors hiking and sailing yachts will bring a windfall to seafood restaurants in Sai Kung and the outlying islands. The industry leaders…