China opens world’s longest sea crossing
Chinese President Xi Jinping has opened a new bridge between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland - the longest sea crossing in the world.
The 34-mile (55km) bridge has been under construction for the past nine years, costs about £15bn and includes two artificial islands.
Some 6.7km of the crossing runs through a tunnel underneath the sea to allow traffic through the busy shipping lane above.
Mr Xi did not make a speech, simply declaring the bridge open at a ceremony in Zhuhai, on the Chinese side. Other top officials including Liu He, Mr Xi's economic adviser, were present.
The Chinese president entered the ceremony side by side with Carrie Lam, the chief executive of Hong Kong.
Some commentators have seen the multibillion-pound bridge as a means for Beijing to bring Hong Kong under even tighter control.
The bridge has economic as well as political goals. Beijing wants to create a Bay Area cluster, linking Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Macau into a supercluster of 11 cities with a population of 68 million - an innovation hub to compete with America's bay area, Silicon Valley.
China also has plans for other megaclusters centred on Beijing and Shanghai, each with a population of more than 100 million.
Before he opened the bridge, Mr Xi toured hi-tech businesses in Zhuhai - a highly symbolic move.
Zhuhai was one of the first special economic zones created as part China's economic reform and opening up 40 years ago this year, set up as the mainland, communist counterpart to the capitalist Portuguese colony of Macau directly opposite.
In the late 1990s, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping made a famous southern tour to the region, to reaffirm China's commitment to opening up. It supercharged China's economic rise to the present day.
Mr Xi is making a similar visit at an uncertain time for China's prospects, though. The country has been surprised by a trade war with the US, and GDP figures released last week missed targets and showed weaker than expected growth.
Top officials appeared unnerved by the data, releasing coordinated public statements.
Over the weekend, Liu He said that China's economy remained strong: "If you look from a historical perspective, our development prospects are extremely bright."
Trivium China, a Beijing-based research firm, said: "There is more weakness to come. Recall, the trade war isn't even playing in yet."
"Policymakers are very nervous about the economy and the stock market. But they are trying not to show it."
Source: Sky News
