The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government signed a deal on Thursday to give effect to a cooperation framework between both cities for implementing the colocation arrangement at the redeveloped Huanggang Port.

Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong SAR government Chris Tang Ping-keung and Vice-Mayor of Shenzhen Luo Huanghao signed the agreement during a ceremony at the Central Government Offices in the HKSAR.

The signing came after the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on June 26 approved a bill authorizing the HKSAR to exercise jurisdiction over designated areas of the new Huanggang port.

On July 8, the State Council issued an official reply about the commissioning of the Hong Kong port area, agreeing that the area is to be commissioned starting from midnight on Friday, and is to be subject to the jurisdiction of the HKSAR in accordance with the city’s laws.

Meanwhile, the SAR’s Legislative Council passed the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill on July 17, paving the way for the area’s operation under the jurisdiction of Hong Kong SAR laws starting from Friday.

At the ceremony, both cities also signed the Agreement on the Right to Use the Huanggang Port Hong Kong Port Area and Related Extended Areas, enabling the SAR government to assume jurisdiction over the Hong Kong port area and related extension zones on a lease arrangement.

Deputy Secretary for Security Joceline Chui Shih-yen and Director of the Office of Port of Entry and Exit of the Shenzhen government Liu Weixiang inked the deal.

The signing of the two agreements “marks an important milestone in the preparatory work for the opening of the port”, Tang said at the ceremony.

“The HKSAR government will continue to work closely with the Shenzhen side to take forward various preparatory tasks in an orderly manner, including system testing, and operational and emergency drills, to ensure that all facilities and operational arrangements at the Port are sound and comprehensive," he added.

Located in Shenzhen’s Futian district, the redeveloped Huanggang Port is positioned as a 24-hour passenger land boundary control point between the HKSAR and Shenzhen and will implement the colocation arrangement and the novel "collaborative inspection and joint clearance" mode.

The port is designed to handle a passenger flow of 200,000 trips and 15,000 vehicle crossings daily. The passenger-handling capacity will be boosted to as many as 300,000 trips a day at peak times upon the future commissioning of the Northern Link Spur Line.

Following the confirmation by both sides that the port is ready for safe and smooth operation, the governments of Guangdong and the Hong Kong SAR will finalize the official opening date and make an announcement in due course.