Approximately 2.8 billion inbound and outbound trips between Macao and Zhuhai have been made since the establishment of the SAR 25 years ago, according to data published yesterday by Zhuhai Customs.
Ties between the two cities have grown exponentially since that time, with the annual number of crossings increasing from 31.8 million in 1999 to over 187 million so far this year.
The annual number of vehicles moving between Zhuhai and Macao has skyrocketed as well, rising from 1.62 million in 1999 to 10.21 million – a more than six-fold jump.
The Northbound Travel for Macao Vehicles policy – an initiative that allows cars with only a Macao registration plate to travel into mainland China, instead of requiring dual plates – has also been well-received.
Since the programme’s inception on 1 January 2023, more than 49,500 local motorists and 37,800 vehicles have registered, with 2.52 million trips recorded.
[See more: Macao’s checkpoint crossings have hit a record high of 200 million]
According to local media outlets, the number of checkpoints linking Macao and Zhuhai have also expanded significantly in the intervening years, growing from just 2 in 1999 to the current 7.
Meanwhile, the number of manual inspection channels increased from less than 100 to the current total of 166. Express e-channels witnessed an even greater surge, from none in 1999 to the current 469 channels.
To streamline travel between Macao and Zhuhai, the authorities have introduced various measures, including biometric border crossing channels in the Border Gate, which are being used by around 60,000 people per day, accounting for almost 20 percent of the total crossings.
Looking ahead, the number of inbound and outbound trips between the SAR and Zhuhai can be expected to continue rising, as the central government recently introduced a multiple entry permit for Zhuhai and Hengqin residents. The new initiative will come into effect on 1 January 2025, enabling residents from these two areas to access Macao much more easily than before.
Macao has also been strengthening economic and cultural links with Hengqin – an administrative district of Zhuhai – in recent years through initiatives such as the Macao New Neighbourhood housing development project and business investments.
