24-hour border crossing to be open between HK, mainland

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 ◆ 24-hour border crossing to be open between HK, mainland

Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang checkpoints between Hong Kong and Chinese mainland will be open for traffic 24 hours per day soon, Hong Kong media reported here on Dec.27.

The round-the-clock arrangement is timed to start shortly before the Chinese Spring Festival, which falls on Feb. 1 next year when border-crossings are expected to boom.

Analysts forecast that tourism and real estate both in Shenzhen and Hong Kong will benefit from the 24-hour border-crossing.

"Without the time limit, the mainland tour groups don't need to wait in long queues to go across the border. This will encourage more mainland people to join Hong Kong and Macao tours," said a tour guide with China Comfort Travel Shenzhen.

Moreover, property developments in Huanggang and Shekou areas in Chinese mainland will get a boost from the new arrangement, according to Deng Yaoqing, a researcher with China Development Institute, a national think tank for research and consulting.

The new arrangement was put on the agenda after Premier Zhu Rongji called for a smoother flow of people and materials through the border during his visit to Hong Kong in mid-November this year.