The Zhuhai port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) saw more than 20,000 inbound and outbound vehicles on Saturday, a daily record since 2023.
The 55-km-long HZMB, linking China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macao SAR, and the city of Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province, is the world's longest bridge-and-tunnel sea crossing.
The daily traffic flow on Saturday was the highest since China launched special schemes on northbound travel for Hong Kong and Macao vehicles in 2023.
The schemes allow eligible private cars from Hong Kong and Macao to travel to Zhuhai via the HZMB without having to obtain regular quotas.
From February 15, one day before the Spring Festival holiday officially began, to Saturday, the bridge saw a total of 114,000 trips made by vehicles from Hong Kong and Macao, according to data from Zhuhai port.
Throughout the Spring Festival holiday that ends on Monday, the bridge handled more than 567,000 passenger trips made by Hong Kong and Macao residents, marking a year-on-year increase of 8.1 percent. Family trips and parent-child tours constituted the main flow of passengers.
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge sees record daily vehicle traffic
China's commissioning of "five essentials for aircraft carriers" marks a a significant achievement of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s accelerated transformation and development, said Jiang Bin, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, at a press conference in Beijing on Saturday.
The "five essentials" refer to stealth carrier-based fighters, multirole catapult-assisted carrier-based fighters, fixed-wing carrier-based early warning aircraft, fixed-wing electronic warfare aircraft, and anti-submarine helicopters.
"The package, or what media have dubbed the 'five essentials for aircraft carriers,' is a vital link in forming the systematic combat capability of aircraft carrier formations and a significant achievement in the PLA Navy’s accelerated transformation and development. Building a strong PLA Navy embodies the Chinese nation's long-cherished aspiration of striving to be a strong naval power and serves as an important guarantee for realizing national rejuvenation. In the new era, under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and President Xi, the modernization of the PLA Navy has become increasingly solid and powerful. From the air to the sea, from coastal waters to the open ocean, the types and functions of various weapons platforms have been continuously improved, achieving leapfrog development and innovative breakthroughs, providing stronger guarantees for safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests," he said.
Spokesman confirms commissioning of 'five essentials' for carriers
