Neighbors key to cooperation
By Joseph Li (China Daily)

As cooperation between the mainland and Hong Kong has increased over the past 10 years, its focal point has been the relationship between the SAR and Guangdong Province.

Since the return, the neighbors have worked closely across a broad range of areas, including major infrastructure projects, facilitating cargo and passenger flows across the boundary and cooperating on technology, trade, economic activities and air quality improvements.

In recent years, the pair also set up two notification mechanisms to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases and ensure food safety. Agreed on in the wake of the SARS outbreak and a string of food safety incidents, both mechanisms have so far been effective.

Inaugurated in 1998, the Hong Kong Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference is co-chaired by Hong Kong's chief executive and the governor of Guangdong, ensuring the agreements and decisions reached have the highest-level support.

On border security, Lok Ma Chau, one of the five border-control points, is operated around the clock to facilitate smooth passenger and cargo flows. In addition, the soon-to-become-operational Lok Ma Chau spur line will be the second cross-boundary rail link and help ease congestion at the control point in Lo Wu.

Another major cross-boundary infrastructure project is the Shenzhen Western Corridor that will come into operation next month. In an unprecedented show of cooperation, the new collocation system will allow passengers to go through two document checks at a single checkpoint. It is a unique arrangement, as law enforcement officers from Hong Kong will be authorized to execute the laws of Hong Kong on the mainland side of the boundary.

The police forces of Hong Kong, the mainland and Macao have also been working together to combat cross-boundary crime.

Over the past 10 years, the three forces have launched several joint operations and succeeded in busting a number of organized syndicates and seized a huge amount of money obtained from the sale of drugs, counterfeit goods and pirated discs.

(China Daily 06/29/2007 page4)