CHINA is to open its border with Hong Kong 24 hours, crack down on checkpoint corruption, and revamp border management in an effort to ease massive traffic congestion.
Senior Chinese official Yu Xiaosong envisaged the Lok Ma Chau border crossing could be opened as early as May 1.
The new policy would only be viable after the completion of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Highway, which diverts traffic from the centre of the city to prevent noise pollution, he said.
The measures were announced after a two-day meeting in Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Mr Yu, the vice-director of the State Economic and Trade Commission, said the serious congestion of border checkpoints had led to huge economic losses created by the traffic jam at the checkpoint, where 60 per cent of China's vehicles leave the country.
He said there was a need to increase the capacity of vehicle flow in order to speed up economic growth for Shenzhen and Hong Kong.