The Hong Kong mainland China driving scheme () is a cross-border driving scheme which allows drivers of cars with primary registration in
mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
to drive directly to Hong Kong. Currently, mainland cars have the driver
seat on the left, while HK cars have driver seat on the right. Historically HK was a
British colony
The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...
before 1997, and adopted driving on the same side of the road as the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
.
While Hong Kong is a party to the
Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, the PRC is not a party to the convention. As a result, prior to the introduction of this pilot scheme, Hong Kong vehicles have to apply for PRC's registration number plates to cross the border, and vice versa.
Timeline
The first phase of the scheme begins on 1 March 2012.
[New entry plan for mainland cars](_blank)
, ''South China Morning Post
The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...
'', 9 February 2012. It allows 50 private vehicles from HK to travel to
Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
province on the mainland.
In the second phase, cars from the mainland will be allowed to enter Hong Kong. 50 mainland cars will be allowed to enter Hong Kong every day from the mainland, seven days a week.
There cannot be a total of more than 350 mainland cars in the city.
The 350 cars limit is expected to increase to 500 in the future.
Oppositions
Initial reaction
On 7 February 2012, the
Civic Party launched a signature-collection drive in
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to th ...
to see if people were against the new driving scheme. In just 90 minutes, over 1,200 signatures were collected in opposition to mainland drivers coming to Hong Kong.
About 40,000 Facebook users were against the scheme.
member
Tam Yiu-chung
Tam Yiu-chung, GBM, JP (; born 15 December 1949) is a pro-Beijing politician in Hong Kong. He is a current member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC), former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Leg ...
of the
pro-Beijing
The pro-Beijing camp, pro-establishment camp, pro-government camp or pro-China camp refers to a political alignment in Hong Kong which generally supports the policies of the Beijing central government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) t ...
Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong is a supporter of the new policy. There were plans earlier by the Hong Kong government to control air pollution and reduce car counts in the city. This scheme seems to have contradict the government's own plan.
12 February protest
On 12 February 2012, about 300 people protested against the scheme. Transport secretary
Eva Cheng
Eva Cheng, GBS (; born 31 May 1960, Hong Kong) was the Secretary for Transport and Housing and the chairman of the Hong Kong Housing AuthorityKong Qingdong
Kong Qingdong (born September 22, 1964) is a controversial Chinese academic, author, talk show host, and social commentator. Kong is a prominent Chinese media figure, known for his vulgar and often brusque critiques on political issues and vario ...
's comment about Hong Kong citizens being the British
running dog
Running dog is a pejorative term for an unprincipled person who helps or flatters those more powerful and often evil. It is a literal translation of the Chinese pejorative (), meaning a yes-man or lackey, and is derived from the tendency of dogs ...
during the
Early 2012 Hong Kong protests
In January 2012, Peking University professor Kong Qingdong made televised remarks suggesting that many Hong Kong people were disloyal to China and still harboured a colonial mentality. Kong Qingdong called Hong Kong people "dogs" in response to ...
.
19 February protest
On 19 February 2012, about 1600 people protested in HK against the arrival of mainland drivers. About 22 non-government organisations participated. Some nicknames given the protest including: "suicide travel" (自殺遊) and "despicable travel" (賤格遊).
The protest asked Hong Kong drivers to not fill any application to drive north into China. Doing so will be accepting the scheme thus betraying fellow Hong Kong citizens. The march started from
Causeway Bay
Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...
.
Also about 10 members of the pro-Beijing camp
Liberal Party led by
Miriam Lau took part in a small protest at the
Legislative Council Complex against the second phase of the scheme. She said there are currently far too many cars that want to travel south (from the mainland to Hong Kong), and there are liability problems. She wants to consider cancelling the second phase.
See also
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Chinese reunification
Chinese unification, also known as the Cross-Strait unification or Chinese reunification, is the potential unification of territories currently controlled, or claimed, by the People's Republic of China ("China" or "Mainland China") and the ...
*
One country, two systems
"One country, two systems" is a constitutional principle of the People's Republic of China (PRC) describing the governance of the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
The constitutional principle was formulated in the early ...
*