Hong Kong Considers Facial Recognition at Huanggang Checkpoint

Author: admin | 16 Jul 2025

Hong Kong’s Legislative Council security panel has approved a HK$1.75 billion (US$223 million) plan to upgrade the Huanggang checkpoint, a major border crossing with Shenzhen. The new, enlarged building is projected to handle an estimated 200,000 passengers and 15,000 vehicles on a daily basis.

Certain legislators have expressed the need to introduce Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) in order to automate the immigration process. Kitson Yang Wing-kit, the deputy panel chairman, cited the effective reliability of FRT at Shenzhen Bay control station and posed a question on whether it would be incorporated at Huanggang.

Chris Tang Ping-keung, the Chief Secretary for Security, responded that technical differences between Hong Kong and Mainland China systems may prevent immediate deployment.

However, he affirmed that improving clearance efficiency remains a long-term goal.

Biometric lanes are already in use at border points in Shenzhen and Zhuhai, where passengers agree to have their fingerprints and facial data captured for identification purposes.

A similar plan for inspecting and clearing travelers is being discussed. This plan would allow people to move through all checkpoints in both Hong Kong and Shenzhen in one short line. Travelers would wait an average of 5 to 30 minutes.

It is anticipated that construction of the new checkpoint may be completed by the end of 2025, and be in a position to operate 24/7 by the end of 2026. Meanwhile, Macau has introduced iris recognition to Hong Kong passengers, wherein 81 channels have advanced features that track faces and provide voice assistance to 6 border crossing points.

The project is to center the improved Huanggang Checkpoint as a major hub within the high-tech border management system in the Greater Bay Area.