The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) has been highly proficient in driving quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, it was shown in feature reports of China Central Television airing April 11.

The HZMB is credited with greatly expediting the flow of people, vehicles, and commodities in the Greater Bay Area since it opened in October 2018. Spanning 55 km (34 miles) across the Lingding Sea, the bridge is the first mega cross-sea transport infrastructure built by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao under the "One Country, Two Systems" model.

Using the structure, travel from Zhuhai Port to Chek Lap Kok (Hong Kong) International Airport takes only 30 minutes and to Macao International Airport only 10, bringing new opportunities to the foreign trade and logistics sector. The bridge also breaks multiple world records as a testament to China's national strength and independent innovation capability.

According to Zheng Tailong, director of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao International Trade (Zhuhai)'s Commerce Department, a trip to Macao would take one day in the past, while four trips per day can now be made. Cargos to be transferred at Chek Lap Kok Airport had to arrive in Hong Kong warehouses two days in advance; now they can arrive with a half-day to spare.

HZMB Zhuhai Port [Photo courtesy WeChat account: zhuhaifabu]

In addition, the HZMB Zhuhai Port has one-stop self-service inspection to streamline customs clearance. Zhuhai and Macao frontier inspectors have taken the lead in the country in implementing a "Joint Inspection & One-time Release" mode to have documents examined. Time required for passenger customs clearance is down to 20 seconds.

Fast year-round cross-border exports from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong and Macao occurred during Spring Festival this year as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Cross-Border Ecommerce Operation Center worked 7/24 leveraging all-weather customs clearance at the HZMB Zhuhai Port.

Development of the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macao has been especially interlinked in Hengqin New Area. The sole free trade zone connected directly to both Hong Kong and Macao via roadway, Hengqin has become an aggregation zone for Greater Bay Area economic resources and a significant venue for deepened Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao cooperation.

A modern industrial system in the city is taking shape relying on Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Logistics Park, Airport International Intelligent Logistics Park, and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Cooperative Innovation Base, while 565 Hong Kong and Macao enterprises and projects have been incubated at Macau-Hengqin Youth Entrepreneurship Valley (Inno Valley HQ).

Compilation of the Deepened Guangdong-Macao Cooperation Zone is resulting in more innovative measures related to cross-border medical insurance, entrepreneurship, scientific innovation, and practices being implemented in Hengqin.

Yan Weimin, deputy secretary of the leading Party members group of the Zhuhai Development & Reform Bureau advocates a modern circulation system based on the HZMB and improved exchange and cooperation between cities on the west bank of the Pearl River and those in western Guangdong. A combined development zone is expected for advanced manufacture and the modern production-oriented service sector in the Greater Bay Area.