World’s longest sea crossing: Hong Kong-Zhuhai bridge opens

President Xi Jinping opened the long-delayed and over-budget Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on Tuesday, billed as a major step forward in China’s plan to turn the Pearl River Delta into a technology hub to rival Silicon Valley.

But critics worry the 55km-long bridge connecting the mainland city of Zhuhai with the semi-autonomous territories of Hong Kong and Macau is as much about politics as it is business.

“It is a grand political gesture – uniting Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland,” said veteran Hong Kong-based analyst Philip Bowring, adding the area’s existing transport links are more than sufficient. “It is certainly not a commercial gesture, that is for sure.”

China is stepping up initiatives to increase trade across the region and at home – the opening of the mega-bridge comes a month after a new high-speed rail link started carrying passengers from Hong Kong to the mainland.