Three unanswered questions over the signing of Hong Kong’s controversial joint rail checkpoint deal
Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Guangdong provincial governor Ma Xingrui signed agreement on Saturday
There, mainland law applies, including the death penalty, and Hong Kong courts have no jurisdiction, according to the “cooperation arrangement” designating a “mainland port area” for the high-speed rail link from Hong Kong to Guangzhou.
But critics say the move contradicts the Basic Law, the city’s mini constitution.
The HK$84.4 billion project, which is due to operate in the third quarter of next year, will serve as an express rail link connecting Hong Kong to Guangdong and the national high-speed rail network.
Travelling at 200km/hr, it will take trains 48 minutes to get to the provincial capital of Guangzhou compared with the existing fastest time of 1 hour 53 minutes. It will also shorten the travel time to Beijing, from 24 hours 21 minutes to 8 hours 45 minutes.
The South China Morning Post explains some of the unanswered questions despite a nearly hour-long press conference chaired by Lam.