Gongbei Checkpoint processed 134 million crossings in 2018, the largest yearly number ever processed at a border in China and a 5-percent increase over 2017. The main portal of the Chinese Mainland to Macao, it has led the country in crossings for seven consecutive years.

Optimized clearance procedures and the opening of 50 self-service inspection channels last June helped raise daily throughput, which was set at 150,000 when the Joint Inspection Building opened in 1999. Since then, border clearance time has been cut to under 30 minutes.

Crossing the Gongbei border

In addition, separate channels were established for Chinese citizens and foreigners and services were integrated, according to the Zhuhai General Station of Exit-Entry Frontier Inspection.

Statistics show that 80 percent of the number of travelers went through self-service border-crossing lanes taking on average eight seconds each.

This is made possible through intelligent equipment such as biological information collection machines and facial recognition systems. Big data technology and other advanced sci-tech methods are used to crack down on illegal entries and exits.

Passport and ID check [Photos by Zhang Ziheng to Zhuhai Daily]