On August 22, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, in collaboration with Shenzhen authorities, conducted a large-scale passenger flow stress test at the rebuilt Huanggang Port. Since the establishment of the Hong Kong port area at Huanggang Port on July 31, the two sides have carefully and prudently arranged a series of drills to lay a solid foundation for the port's efficient operation after its official opening.

In the future, Huanggang Port will implement the "one place, two checks" arrangement and a brand-new clearance model featuring "cooperative inspection and one-time release," further optimizing inspection procedures and enhancing coordination efficiency. This will strengthen the foundation for the smooth flow and integrated development of essential factors in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. On August 22, the Hong Kong SAR government and Shenzhen jointly conducted a cross-border passenger flow stress test at the Huanggang Port joint inspection building. The photo shows the stress test scene at the passenger inspection level of the Hong Kong port area, direction from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.

Looking back at the development history of Hong Kong-Shenzhen ports, clearance models have continuously evolved and upgraded. Previously, ports including Huanggang Port generally adopted the "two places, two checks" model, requiring travelers to complete immigration and customs procedures separately on both sides of the border. Although this model featured clear division of law enforcement responsibilities, it had obvious limitations in efficiency. In 2007, Shenzhen Bay Port took the lead in adopting the "one place, two checks" model, accumulating valuable experience in coordinated clearance between the two places. In 2018, the High Speed Rail West Kowloon Station implemented "one place, two checks" within Hong Kong for the first time. Now, the upgrade of Huanggang Port further optimizes previous practices by introducing the "cooperative inspection and one-time release" mechanism, consolidating two separate queuing inspections into a single verification process and driving deeper integration of clearance cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong.

From a global perspective, improving overall port clearance efficiency aligns with international development trends. Among European Schengen Area countries, the abolition of internal border checks has enabled the free movement of people, achieved through high-level political mutual trust and legal coordination, with rule convergence and sovereignty sharing used to eliminate clearance boundaries. The United States and Canada have implemented a "pre-clearance system" to achieve "forward-deployed border inspection," but this is essentially law enforcement cooperation rather than a restructuring of clearance systems and legal coordination. Under "one country, two systems," the mainland and Hong Kong have adopted institutional innovations such as "one place, two checks" and "cooperative inspection and one-time release" to minimize the institutional costs of cross-border factor flows, vividly demonstrating the vitality and superiority of "one country, two systems."

The upgrade of Huanggang Port continues to reshape the functional landscape of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border area. The public transport interchange in the Hong Kong port area integrates diverse transportation options including franchised buses, green minibuses, and taxis; Shenzhen is advancing road network upgrades and rail transit connections around the port. The leap in transportation accessibility has significantly expanded the development radius of surrounding areas on both sides. Leveraging the spatial resources and circulation dividends released by the rebuilt Huanggang Port, surrounding areas such as Lok Ma Chau in Hong Kong and Futian Free Trade Zone in Shenzhen will also embrace favorable opportunities for urban function renewal and industrial upgrading.

Currently, the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone, located in Lok Ma Chau, is at a critical stage of accelerated construction and factor agglomeration. The efficient and convenient clearance system at Huanggang Port will provide stable support for cross-border commuting of scientific and technological personnel between the two places, as well as the rapid flow of research equipment and materials. The interconnected pattern of "Port-Hetao-Northern Metropolis of Hong Kong" will also provide a practical and feasible model for deepening collaborative development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.