China Approves New Border Crossing With HK

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 ◆ China Approves New Border Crossing With HK

Chinese authorities have approved the building of a new border crossing between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

After a two-day hearing on the project's feasibility study that ended in Shenzen on Saturday, experts organized by China's Ministry of Communications gave the go-ahead.s gave the go-ahead.

This means the design work will be underway soon, says Shenzhen deputy mayor Li Decheng.

The new border crossing, known as the Western Channel, will include a 4,800-meter-long bridge across Shenzhen bay to link Hong Kong and Shenzhen and a customs zone, to be jointly financed by Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

The new crossing post is needed to cope with increasing flows of passengers and cargo between the mainland and Hong Kong and to achieve the shared goal of closer ties between the two.

Both regions have agreed on the end of 2005 as a completion date for the border crossing which will open in 2006.

Hong Kong hopes that tendering for the project will begin next March, according to Li.

He added that Shenzhen would do its best to achieve this by choosing the best bridge design as soon as possible.

The bridge would be designed to last 120 years and would be toll free, officials said.