The government said on Saturday its third large-scale drill at the new Huanggang port facility went smoothly, achieving the expected results and testing objectives.

Around 10,000 civil servants took part, simulating peak holiday conditions to test the port's clearance capacity and how well it handles passenger and vehicle flows.

Chief Secretary Eric Chan said dozens of immigration channels were put to the test.

“Out of the 90 immigration counters and e-channels, 60 of them are reused today. Although [it's] only two third of the capacity, but still we can see that the whole operation is very smooth and can handle all 10,000 passengers smoothly," he said

"For the remaining 30 immigration channels, we need some slight adjustments before they can be put into operation. So we are confident that when 90 of them are in full operation, we can handle all the passengers very smoothly."

Secretary for Security Chris Tang said around 1,000 vehicles also took part in the exercise to simulate heavy traffic conditions.

"This is the purpose... you know we try to push it to the limit. Actually, we found that... although traffic is relatively heavy but it's smooth."

Chan said the drill provided valuable hands-on experience and that participating civil servants have been asked to give feedback.

He added that the government's inter‑departmental team would continue to make improvements over the coming week, ahead of another pressure test next Saturday involving 20,000 civil servants, together with Shenzhen authorities.

As for the port's opening date, he said that will be set once both sides confirm that it is ready and that the public will be informed as soon as possible.




Edited by Azam Khan