Consensus on Six Items Reached at HK/Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference

Consensus on Six Items Reached at HK/Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference

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Consensus on six items were reached at the fourth meeting of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference in Hong Kong Wednesday, covering control points management, development of Nansha, cooperation between Hong Kong Airport and Zhuhai Airport, environmental protection, Dongjiang water quality and communications networking.

Both sides have agreed that the operating hours of Lo Wu Control Point should be extended for 30 minutes to 12 midnight on the day before and during the day of Hong Kong Public Holidays. For Chinese New Year, the extension will cover 10 days before and during the New Year period.

To improve the environment of Lo Wu Footbridge, passenger lanes there will be widened as soon as possible. Jet fans will be installed on the footbridge and efforts will be made to complete the footbridge air-conditioning project by the end of 2002.

Both sides agreed that under the major premise of maintaining effective operation of the control point, a special group should be tasked with studying the feasibility of extending the operating hours of passenger clearance at Lok Ma Chau Control Point and making use of the car port in Huanggang Control Point area in Shenzhen.

In addition, with a view to speeding up traffic flow and further streamlining clearance procedures, both sides agreed to study the feasibility of co-location of immigration and customs facilities at the Shenzhen Western Corridor and other control points.

The two sides signed a Letter of Intent for Economic Development considering that the development of Nansha would benefit the commerce and industry sector in Hong Kong and Guangdong as well as help promote the economic development on both sides.

It was agreed that an expert group would be set up to discuss the overall direction and substantive plans in their joint efforts to develop Nansha, which locates in the Panyu City of Guangdong Province. The areas of cooperation might include the development of new high-technology industries, transport and logistics services, as well as training and exchange of talents.

The two sides believed that there was scope for cooperation in the transport of cargo and passenger between the Hong Kong International Airport and airports in the Pearl River Delta. At present, the two sides will study the feasibility of cooperation between the Hong Kong and Zhuhai airports.

Both sides agreed to give priority to improving the air quality. The Environment and Food Bureau of the HKSAR and the Environmental Protection Bureau of the Guangdong Province will follow up on the detailed work.

Guangdong and Hong Kong authorities note the improvement in Dongjiang water quality supplied to Hong Kong since 1999. Both sides agreed to continue exploring the possibility of releasing more Dongjiang water data to the public.

Both sides agreed to set up a working group to jointly look into the cooperation and development of e-commerce and e- certificate in the Hong Kong SAR and Guangdong Province.

At the meeting, both sides also exchanged views on issues of common concerns, such as the speeding up of the construction of the Shenzhen Western Crossing linking Hong Kong and Shenzhen and a pedestrian walkway connecting Huanggang in Shenzhen with Lok Ma Chau, and ways to further facilitate the visits by residents of Guangdong Province to Hong Kong.

The two sides believed that in view of the mainland's imminent accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Guangdong and Hong Kong were likely to enjoy closer economic and trade relations.

At the same time, the flow of passenger and cargo between the two sides would certainly become busier. In order to give full play to the strengths of Guangdong and Hong Kong, the two sides would, through the communication channel provided by the Hong Kong and Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference, make concerted efforts to improve border crossing arrangements and expedite co-ordination of the economies of Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta area.

Both sides believed that under the leadership of the Central Government and with the joint efforts by the two places, the Hong Kong/Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference will continue to achieve new development, furthering new height in their co- operation and contributing to the economic prosperity and social stability of both places.

The two delegations were led by Donald Tsang, secretary for administration of the HKSAR, and Ou Guangyuan, vice-governor of the Guangdong Province. Chen Zuo'er, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, also attended the meeting.