Hong Kong: CEPA gives HK exports to mainland a big lift

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the signing of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Chinese mainland. The partnership has boosted the value of exports of Hong Kong products to the mainland by more than six-fold so far with zero tariffs — from 860 million yuan ($118.5 million) to 6.11 billion yuan — benefiting nearly 9,000 types of Hong Kong-made products, according to Shenzhen authorities.

In value terms, Shenzhen Customs processed nearly half of the goods the SAR exported to the mainland under the CEPA, ranking first nationwide.

Macao: Vehicle, passenger traffic on HZMB sees surge from Jan

More than 11.65 million passengers traveled between Hong Kong and the cities of Zhuhai and Macao via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge from January to May — a 57 percent year-on-year increase. The average daily passenger traffic reached 77,000.

About 60 percent of the travelers used the bridge to travel between the Hong Kong and Macao SARs.

Vehicle traffic on the HZMB has gone up 1.87 times over the same period last year. The number of Macao and Hong Kong single-plate vehicles crossing the bridge into the Chinese mainland has exceeded 2.65 million, with an average monthly growth rate of above 10 percent.

Guangzhou: Guangzhou Metro logged 3b passenger trips in 2023

Last year’s passenger volume on the Guangzhou Metro surpassed 3.13 billion, again breaking the 3-billion mark after a four-year hiatus, according to Guangzhou Metro Group’s annual report issued on June 12.

The average daily passenger volume of the Guangdong provincial capital’s 390-kilometer metro network — one of the longest in the world — reached 8.61 million in 2023, reflecting a 6 percent growth rate over that of the previous year, and accounted for 69 percent of the total number of commuters using the city’s public transportation systems.

Shenzhen: Connectivity soars with new cross-city links

With the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link — a world-class sea-crossing — due to open later this month, Shenzhen will launch dedicated cross-city bus and airport shuttle services between the two cities.

The direct airport shuttle services between Zhongshan Exposition Center and Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport will enable Zhongshan residents flying out of Shenzhen’s airport to check in Zhongshan, rather than having to go all the way to Shenzhen.

The buses will make 72 trips daily, reducing travel time between Zhongshan and Shenzhen from two hours to less than 50 minutes. Daytime tickets will cost 60 yuan ($8.27) each, while the nighttime fare will be 78 yuan. Passengers can purchase tickets online or at counters.

Zhuhai: Legal affairs facility on Hengqin gains popularity

The Qin’ao International Legal Affairs Cluster in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone on Zhuhai’s Hengqin Island has provided legal services to more than 57,000 residents and 5,500 market entities since its establishment in June last year.

Nine public legal service institutions have begun operating at the facility in the past year, including those specializing in arbitration, commercial mediation and enforcement. Legal claims lodged at the Hengqin International Arbitration Center amounted to 22.4 billion yuan ($3.1 billion) — a six-fold increase from 2022.

Foshan: Thousands flock to dragon boat joint tournament

A dragon boat race including a triathlon and tug-of-war that took place near Foshan’s scenic Xiqiao Mountain on June 10 attracted more than 35,000 people. The race, involving 39 teams, was part of Foshan’s 2024 dragon boat super joint tournament.

This year’s tournament began in February and is due to end in December. The Foshan municipal government plans to transform the sport originating from the Dragon Boat Festival into a year-round event and promote it as a city symbol.

Huizhou: City earmarks 450m yuan to improve Aotou coastline

Huizhou is to spend 450 million yuan ($62 million) to refine tourism facilities along the Aotou coastline in Daya Bay, such as improving the landscape, building new coastline links and vehicle parking spaces.

Preparatory upgrading work on a 6-kilometer coastline between Huizhou Port and a marine fisheries experimental center is expected to be completed before the end of November. A viewing deck, two cross-sea footbridges for landscape viewing and three zones with different themes will be built within three years.

Dongguan: New sanitation vehicles road-tested in Dongguan

Dongguan has deployed 11 unmanned sanitation vehicles for road tests from June 11 — the first time the city has used automatic new-energy-powered vehicles for urban cleaning.

Designed as road sweepers, the automatic cleaning vehicles will operate along arterial routes, covering an area of 860,000 square meters, at a speed of five to eight kilometers per hour, and for five to six hours at a time. Each vehicle has an attendant on board to ensure road safety during the initial testing phase.

Zhongshan: Party chief leads team to HK to reinforce cooperation

Zhongshan’s Party Secretary Guo Wenhai led a delegation to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on June 12 to discuss deepening cooperation between the two cities. The delegation met with Eric Chan Kwok-ki, chief secretary for administration of the HKSAR, to exchange views on economic, trade, technological and cultural exchanges.

Guo said the potential for bilateral cooperation will grow with the opening of a new ferry terminal in Zhongshan and the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. Both routes will cut travel time between Zhongshan and Hong Kong to 50 minutes.

Jiangmen: Jiangmen trade with RCEP members hits 13b yuan

Jiangmen’s import and export trade with most member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership reached 13.38 billion yuan ($1.84 billion) in the first four months of this year — a 12.2 percent rise year-on-year, accounting for 22.6 percent of the city’s total foreign trade. The city saw positive growth in trade with 11 economies of the 15-member grouping. Rapid growth was recorded with Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore.

To help Jiangmen companies maximize their utilization of RCEP’s benefits, the city’s customs authorities have been leveraging technologies like big data and smart auditing, and providing tailored solutions based on their specific needs.

Zhaoqing: Lithium battery exports surge 105% year-on-year

Thirty containers containing 505 metric tons of lithium battery packs left Guangdong Ruiqing Contemporary Amperex Technology in the Zhaoqing Hi-Tech Industry Development Zone recently for export after undergoing customs procedures.

Founded in Zhaoqing in 2021, the exporter is a subsidiary of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co — one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers on the mainland. The battery manufacturing giant has significantly improved the city’s capacity to produce and export lithium batteries.

In the first four months this year, Zhaoqing exported lithium batteries worth 120 million yuan ($16.5 million), representing a year-on-year growth rate of 105.7 percent.