National law enforced in Hong Kong’s high-speed rail terminus from midnight, as 800 mainland officers set to be stationed in port area
Handover ceremony took place at 11.45pm, marking the creation of a controversial mainland port area in Hong Kong ahead of the opening of the rail link on September 23
About 800 mainland Chinese personnel will be stationed daily at Hong Kong’s new cross-border high-speed rail link terminus, with a midnight ceremony on Monday marking the handover of the designated port area where they will enforce national laws, according to government sources.
The 15-minute handover ceremony was arranged after the government gazetted the controversial “co-location” joint checkpoint arrangement last Friday, authorising mainland officials to start work in the port area under their jurisdiction at the West Kowloon terminus on Tuesday.
It is understood the 800 mainland law enforcers, including about 160 police officers, will work in two shifts in the port area when the HK$84.4 billion Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link opens on September 23.
The 800-strong team also includes immigration, customs and quarantine personnel.