HONG KONG — The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government on Tuesday gazetted the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill, setting the stage for the redeveloped border crossing to begin operations at midnight on July 31.

The bill will be introduced to the Legislative Council for its first and second readings on Wednesday, providing the legal framework for Hong Kong to exercise jurisdiction over the designated port area under a “co-location arrangement,” with collaborative inspection and joint customs clearance between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

The legislation follows the National People’s Congress Standing Committee’s June 26 decision authorizing Hong Kong to exercise jurisdiction over the port area and related extensions. The State Council subsequently issued an official reply on July 8, specifying the coordinates and area of the Hong Kong Port Area and confirming the July 31 commissioning date.

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Located in Shenzhen’s Futian district, the redeveloped Huanggang Port will become the first and only 24-hour passenger checkpoint between the two cities.

Clearance time is expected to drop significantly from about 30 minutes at the existing Lok Ma Chau or Huanggang Port to approximately five minutes.

The port is designed to handle 200,000 passenger trips daily, with potential capacity of up to 300,000 once the MTR’s Northern Link Spur Line is completed by 2034.

A government spokesman said the superstructure of the port building is “basically completed,” with interior fitting-out works and facility installations underway by contractors on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen sides. The early passage of the bill is expected to facilitate comprehensive preparations, including tests, trials, and drills, to ensure operational readiness.