New port linking Macao, mainland's Guangdong to open

MACAO, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A new port linking the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the mainland's Guangdong Province is set to be open on Sept. 8, the Macao SAR Government Information Bureau said on Monday.

The new port, known as the Qingmao Checkpoint, will be open upon an approval by the State Council and discussions between the Guangdong provincial government and the Macao SAR government, said the bureau.

The new checkpoint is adjacent to the Border Gate Checkpoint, one of the main existing ports between Macao and Guangdong.

The new facility will operate round the clock. There will be 50 automated channels inbound for passenger clearance services and 50 automated channels outbound, with two staffed counters to be operated in each direction.

The Qingmao Checkpoint is designed to offer overflow capacity in support of the nearby Border Gate Checkpoint. Macao ID holders and tourists registered to use automated boundary crossing channels can opt to use the new checkpoint, according to the bureau.