Expect government plan for co-location of Guangzhou rail link checkpoints by end December, lawmaker says
Legco railways subcommittee chair Michael Tien fears there may be insufficient time to enact required local legislation before 2018 launch
New People’s Party lawmaker Michael Tien Puk-sun, chairman of the Legislative Council’s railways subcommittee, said on Wednesday that he had gathered this news from various “sources”, but when he confronted transport minister Anthony Cheung Bing-leung in a private meeting, Cheung declined to confirm it.
“I heard from various sources that the co-location plan will be unveiled by the end of December. I asked the Secretary to confirm these today, but of course he did not,” Tien said, adding that Cheung told him only that the co-location plan would “conform to the Basic Law”.
The co-location arrangement, which pan-democrats say violates the Basic Law, would mean mainland officers being stationed at the West Kowloon terminus and enforcing laws in Hong Kong. This would require Legco’s approval because it involves enactment of local legislation.
However, sources close to MTR Corporation’s top management said that so far they had not received any news from the government about its plan, though construction of the co-location facilities had already begun at the West Kowloon terminus.