Zhuhai Border Inspection to Facilitate Integrated Development

Zhang Ziheng and Zhang Xiao

Dawn is breaking as sirens echo from the Wanzai Ferry Port close to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge （the HZM Bridge）. Ports along the Haojiang River are bustling with crowds and traffic... The Zhuhai General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection （the Station） at the intersection of the Chinese mainland and two special administrative regions has optimized its inspection mechanism and rolled out a series of measures to resolve urgent， difficult and protracted problems for enterprises and the public. By doing so， the Station bolsters the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area （the Bay Area） and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin （the Cooperation Zone）.

China’s First “Joint Inspection” System

A fresh breeze stirred the South China Sea in the golden season of autumn.

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council issued The General Plan of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin on September 5， 2021， bringing new development opportunities to this area of 106 square kilometers. This plan is of great significance， as it adds new content to the “One Country， Two Systems” policy， injects lasting impetus to Macao’s development， and contributes to the area’s long-term prosperity， stability and integration into China’s overall development.

“We must bear in mind the original aspiration， develop a keen understanding of Hengqin’s strategic significance to the nation，  keep going the momentum gained from the the CPC’s 100-year growth and get a competitive edge in the Bay Area’s integrated development. We should free our minds and aim high， develop a Hengqin Model， and play a leading role in this region，” said Yuan Bin， the person in charge of the Station， with determination. Since the Station’s new party leadership group was formed in August， it has carried out three on-site inspections at Hengqin Port together with the Cooperation Zone task force under the Station’s Leading Group for Deepening Reform.

In the early planning of the Hengqin New Area for promoting the Cooperation Zone’s development， the Station， a staunch border defender， has conducted thorough studies and taken initial actions. With Zhuhai being one of the core cities in the Bay Area， the Station has identified Hengqin Port as a frontier for the Cooperation Zone’s development.

With  a view to the long-term development of customs clearance between Guangdong and Macao， the Station has carried out nearly 20 meetings with Macao’s Public Security Police Force and Security Force， conducted research on legal， business， technological and other fronts， reviewed key issues over and again including venue construction， inspection procedures， facility layout and cooperation modes， concluded 37 symposiums and 27 technical research projects， and run 4，000 trials for improvement and several hundred thousand tests and debugging processes. Finally， both sides created a new model of “joint inspection” under the "One Country， Two Systems.”

Under such a cooperation model， three inspection e-gates are installed across the boundary. To complete self-service checking process， travelers need line up only once to get their passes checked and biometrics collected simultaneously by both sides， and the clearance time is substantially cut to about 30 seconds. On top of this， Zhuhai has strengthened cooperation with Public Security Police Force of Macao， upgraded Zhuhai-Macao 24-Hour Duty Program， and set up a new cooperation model that enables joint response with respective responsibilities. Police officials on both sides of the boundary perform their duties simultaneously， practice law enforcement closely and deal with emergencies efficiently， thereby ensuring orderly operation at checkpoints.

Zhuhai has taken initiative to implement preferential policies for Macao launched by the national government， relaxed restrictions on the entry and exit of Macao's single-plate vehicles via Hengqin Port， and further upgraded the one-stop registration， according to which drivers can finish initial registration in just one visit and apply for extension online. This policy has created greater convenience for holders of single-plate vehicles and made Hengqin Port more intelligent and up to international standards.

As of September 5， 2021， Hengqin Port has handled over 8 million travelers and 1.2 million cross-border trips by different transport means， and an additional 7，000 of Macao's single-plate vehicles have been registered. This indicates that connectivity between Zhuhai and Macao has embarked on a fast-track development.

To go through the exit and entry process， travelers need only line up once and have a group inspection in the same hall. This is an innovative customs clearance achieved under "One Country， Two Systems." On September 8， a key connectivity project， Qingmao Port， was officially put into operation. It is the 7th passenger port and the 4th 24-hour checkpoint between Zhuhai and Macao.

“Cooperative fast-inspection channels are the main facilities in Qingmao Port and it’s the most digitalized and intelligent checkpoint in China so far，” introduced Wu Xun， Interim Chief of Qingmao Border Inspection under the Station.

The Station and Public Security Police Force of Macao continued to deepen cooperation in building Qingmao Port. They optimized the “joint inspection” system， upgraded software and hardware facilities， and launched cooperative fast-inspection passages in joint efforts， reducing checking time per passenger from 30 to 20 seconds. This policy also applies to Hong Kong residents. By doing so， the Station has improved efficiency and convenience for passengers， facilitated Guangdong-Macao and Zhuhai-Macao integrated development， and created favorable conditions for Macao's engagement in national development and sustainable growth.

Intelligent Inspection to Bolster In-depth Cooperation

Ever committed to innovation， the Station has applied high technologies including big data， cloud computing and artificial intelligence to port development. As the developer of the Meisha System， the fourth-generation comprehensive management system for China’s border inspection， it has completed eight systematic upgrades in two years， making inspections more digital and intelligent. It has streamlined operational process and cut waiting time for travelers， providing a strong guarantee for secure and steady border operations as well as unimpeded travel across the country.

The Station has promoted application of information technology in port management， installed an intelligent system at checkpoints and set up a CCTV management platform for port zones. It has also established a visualized system to coordinate inspection and a smart system to manage the queue at Hengqin Port. With these user-friendly approaches in place， people-to-people contact during Covid-19 has been reduced， and customs clearance and management efficiency has improved.

The Station has launched the first one-stop inspection system for cargo vehicles in China， allowing trucks to stop for check once and for all， rather than three times as it was before. It has facilitated a quota scheme that allows near 40，000 vehicles with Guangdong and Hong Kong dual plates to pass through the HZM Bridge without extra endorsements and has facilitated a quota scheme for Guangdong， Hongkong and Macao triple-plate vehicles in the Bay Area. In this light， vehicles can transport fresh farm produce from the mainland to Macao via the Zhuhai-Macao Cross-Border Industrial Zone Port， adding a new function to the HZM Bridge Zhuhai-Macao port agencies. This has leveraged the HZM Bridge's role as a golden channel and promoted integration of all elements concerning production and everyday life around the Bay Area.

The Station has upgraded and expanded its self-checking equipment through constant innovation in R&D. Since 2019， it has coordinated to launch 87 self-checking passages and 169 cooperative fast-inspection channels in Hengqin Port and Qingmao Port. To date， 520 self-checking channels up to international standards have been put into use， which deal with about 80% of passenger inspections on an annual basis， playing a leading role in China. To meet different demands， the Station has opened passages for young students and green passages， and it is currently exploring ways to install facilities for people with disabilities， including people with visual impairments， with a view to giving satisfaction to both passengers and inspectors.

Round-the-Clock Service for Export-Oriented Enterprises

“It costs about US $50，000 per day for a foreign ship to dock. As border inspectors are poised to provide services as soon as a ship arrives， it possibly saves several million dollars a year，” said Gao Wenfeng， Field Service Manager of China Marine Shipping Agency， Zhuhai Company Limited.

To foster the Bay Area’s development and deepen reform in the exit-entry management， the Station has devised the Working Plan on Promoting Economic and Social Development by Deepening Overall Reform. It has released 67 pro-people and pro-business measures， solved 202 specific problems on exit and entry for the public and enterprises， and honored its responsibility as immigration police forces by providing solutions and delivering tangible benefits to the people.

This year has witnessed a notable year-on-year growth and a record high in the number of ships and volume of cargo at the ports along the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary. The Station has adopted preparatory inspection measures to ensure vessels are ready to go as soon as the tide rises or the fog disperses， and offered 24/7 customs services with police forces on guard. It has helped save nearly 4，000 hours for shipping companies and benefited export-oriented enterprises in the region. In the Meantime， while practicing strict COVID-19 prevention and control measures， it has made full use of online platforms to handle applications， and offered contact-free solutions such as e-permits for embarking， disembarking and boarding foreign vessels. It has balanced COVID-19 control with foreign trade to assist enterprises to meet their production targets ahead of schedule.

“As the border inspection authority， in order to serve the people， we must ensure them high efficiency and security with minimal impediment in customs clearance，” said Chen Hongjun， Head of the Station. As of this October， the Station has inspected 7，000 inbound and outbound travelers （up by about 130% year on year）， over 40，000 inbound and outbound vessels （up by around 10% year on year）， and more than 3 million trips by different transport means （up by 140% year on year）. Due to COVID-19 control， inspection time was prolonged for a time. In response， the Station has taken initiative to conclude nine upgrades for its pre-inspection system by processing big data related to travelers’ information and inbound transport routes， and adjusted and improved inspection measures and procedures in due course， so as to build a strong line of border defense against the pandemic.

Meanwhile， the Station has strengthened communication and coordination with its counterparts at the Guangdong-Hong Kong and Guangdong-Macao checkpoints， designated areas for transferring infection-related cases， reduced intermediate links， practiced close-loop management， and shortened clearance time for individuals and transports. It has also improved fast-inspection mechanisms， given priority to handling cases of life-saving importance， and set up six cross-border ambulance stations at Gongbei and other ports for the benefit of patients. Driver and vehicle registration as well as vessel application can all be conducted online， so that in-person contact is minimized by a maximized use of the Internet. The 12367 hotline has been launched and 5，200 inquires have been handled. With all these measures in place， case conclusion rates and public satisfaction both have reached a maximum.

（Translated by Agnes）