Hong Kong and Shenzhen Agree on Next Phase of New Boundary Control Points to Ease Cross-Border Congestion

Senior officials from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Shenzhen Municipal Government met on 29 May 2026 to accelerate joint planning for a new generation of boundary control points (BCPs) along the world’s busiest land border. Led by Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang and Shenzhen Vice-Mayor Luo Huanghao, the task-force session focused on site selection, construction sequencing and the adoption of shared facial-recognition clearance systems already piloted at Luohu and Lok Ma Chau. Pressure has been building since Hong Kong scrapped its remaining COVID-19 entry restrictions in late 2025. During the recent Buddha’s Birthday long weekend, more than 673,000 travellers jammed road crossings on a single day, with wait times hitting three hours at Shenzhen Bay. Both cities now agree that simply adding more counters is not enough; instead, they will develop purpose-built BCPs that integrate rail, highway and coach terminals with one-stop, co-located immigration and customs inspection. A highlight of the blueprint is the proposed “Northern Metropolis Gateway” at San Tin.



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The multilevel complex will connect the Hong Kong Northern Link railway to Shenzhen Metro Line 18, feature a 4,000-vehicle coach staging area and house joint e-Channel halls capable of processing 50,000 passengers an hour. Construction is slated to begin in 2028, but preparatory land resumption and environmental assessments will start next quarter. For businesses that shuttle staff daily between Hong Kong’s finance district and Shenzhen’s tech parks, the stakes are high. Surveys by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce show that 41 per cent of member companies lost at least one contract in the past year because engineers or sales teams were stuck in border traffic. Faster, smarter BCPs could cut door-to-door travel times within the Greater Bay Area to under 60 minutes, a target enshrined in Beijing’s 14th Five-Year Plan. The meeting also produced short-term wins: Hong Kong Customs will trial “express export lanes” for high-value electronics by 1 July, and the Immigration Department will open an additional 20 automated visitor e-gates at the Shenzhen Bay crossing before the summer school holidays. Both sides pledged to reconvene in September to review progress and finalise funding models, which may include a public-private partnership for the San Tin hub.