Hong Kong and China Customs' annual meeting maintains close co-operation (with photos)

The 2013/14 Annual Review Meeting between the General Administration of Customs and Hong Kong Customs was held in Beijing on July 15 and 16. The Hong Kong Customs delegation was headed by the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Clement Cheung, while the Mainland Customs delegation was headed by the Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Mr Sun Yibiao.

This was the 14th annual meeting between the Hong Kong and China Customs since the signing of the Customs Co-operative Arrangement in 2000. The meeting reviewed the co-operation between the two Customs administrations on trade facilitation, anti-smuggling, anti-narcotics, and staff training last year. The two Customs bodies also recognised the remarkable achievements resulting from close co-operation on various fronts.

They also mapped out a co-operation plan for the coming year in the following respects:

1. to enhance training co-operation and exchange between both administrations;
2. to improve customs clearance efficiency, including the implementation of expedited customs clearance and electronic customs seals, the development of a united data model, and to explore the possibility of exchanging data of electronic manifests between Hong Kong and Mainland;
3. to enhance co-operation on informatisation, including the exchange on single window development, and the study on monitoring of cross-boundary e-commerce;
4. to strengthen enforcement co-operation, including the reinforcement of intelligence exchange and mounting joint operations to combat cross-boundary smuggling activities;
5. to enhance co-operation on control measures over the Rules of Origin under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement;
6. to refine the regulatory mechanism for cargo transshipped through Hong Kong under the Economic Co-operation Framework Agreement;
7. to advance and refine the facilitation measures of the Wine Trade Facilitation Scheme so as to further promote Hong Kong as a wine trading hub;
8. to actively work out a mutual recognition arrangement for the respective Authorized Economic Operator programmes with a view to enhancing trade facilitation; and
9. to promote co-operation on international customs affairs between the two Customs administrations.

After the meeting, the Hong Kong delegation proceeded to the Beijing Detector Dog Base of the General Administration of Customs and visited the puppies bred under the "Mainland - Hong Kong Detector Dog Breeding Cooperation Pilot Programme". The delegation also observed the pilot training scheme of ivory detector dogs at the Detector Dog Base. It is believed that the scheme can contribute to efficiently combating the smuggling of ivory in order to protect endangered species.

Afterwards, the delegation attended a meeting with the Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Mr Yu Guangzhou. Mr Yu said the focus of co-operation between the two administrations will include enhancement of implementation of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, strengthening enforcement co-operation on anti-narcotics and anti-smuggling, and promoting trade facilitation aims to enhance informatisation and improve customs clearance efficiency.

The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Clement Cheung (delegation on left, second left) and the Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Mr Sun Yibiao (delegation on right, fourth left) attend the 2013/14 Annual Review Meeting between the General Administration of Customs and Hong Kong Customs held in Beijing.

Mr Cheung (left) meets with the Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Mr Yu Guangzhou (right).