XN000022-1985-02-28 — Page 2

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1985

SHA TAU KOK VEHICULAR BORDER LINK OPENED

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THE NEW VEHICULAR BORDER LINK AT SHA TAU KOK, THE SECOND ROAD CROSSING BUILT BY THE GOVERNMENT, WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED TODAY (THURSDAY).

AT PRESENT THE ONLY ACCESS FOR CARS AND TRUCKS PLYING BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA IS AT THE MAN KAM TO CROSSING.

OFFICIATING AT THE CEREMONY WERE THE POLITICAL ADVISER OF HONG KONG, MR JOHN BOYD, AND THE DEPUTY MAYOR OF SHENZHEN, MR ZHEN XIPEI.

WORK ON THE ROAD, WHICH COST $14 MILLION, STARTED IN JANUARY LAST YEAR, AND INVOLVED CONSTRUCTION OF AN 800-METRE-LONG TWO-WAY CARRIAGEWAY WITH WIDTHS RANGING FROM 7.3 METRES TO 80 METRES, TWO PEDESTRIAN SUBWAYS ACROSS THE VEHICULAR BORDER LINK, AND ANCILLARY DRAINAGE WORKS.

THE WHOLE PROJECT ALSO INCLUDED BORDER CONTROL FACILITIES, ON WHICH WORK INVOLVING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TERMINAL BUILDING AT A COST OF $10 MILLION, BEGAN IN FEBRUARY LAST YEAR. THE FACILITIES INCLUDED AN ARRIVAL-DEPARTURE HALL, OFFICE ACCOMMODATION FOR THE POLICE, IMMIGRATION, CUSTOMS AND THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENTS, CARGO EXAMINATION PLATFORMS, IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS KIOSKS AND AN EMERGENCY GENERATOR FOR ÉLECTRICITY BACK UP.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY, MR BOYD SAID SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SHENZHEN AND HONG KONG IN 1982 ON OPENING UP NEW LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES, THE LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES HAD CONTINUED TO GROW, TO MUTUAL SATISFACTION.

+ I HAVE BEEN STRUCK, ON MY RETURN TO HONG KONG AFTER A BREAK OF SEVERAL YEARS, BY THE RAPID UPWARD CURVE IN CROSS-BORDER TRAFFIC IN RECENT YEARS, BOTH IN TERMS OF PASSENGERS AND COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC, HE SAID.

+THIS IS A MATTER OF NOT ONLY QUANTITY BUT QUALITY. THERE ARE NOW WELL-ESTABLISHED LINKS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES, BOTH IN THE BORDER LIAISON SYSTEM FOR EXCHANGES OF INFORMATION AND FOR RESOLVING PROBLEMS IN POLICE, IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS MATTERS ; AND IN THE JOINT WORKING GROUPS SET UP TO PUT INTO EFFECT THE AGREEMENT WHICH I MENTIONED EARLIER.

+ IT IS A MEASURE OF THE GOOD RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES THAT THESE VARIOUS GROUPS HAVE FUNCTIONED EFFECTIVELY AND PRODUCTIVELY SINCE THEIR ESTABLISHMENT.

+I AM SURE THAT SUCH WORK WILL CONTINUE TO OUR MUTUAL BENEFIT IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

/+I LOOK