John Lee Ka-chiu, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, unveiled the region's First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (spanning from 2026 to 2030) and presented the Chief Executive's Policy Address for 2026. Lee Ka-chiu stated that, commencing in December of this year, the Immigration Department will initiate a pilot program known as the "Smart Pass" at the Hong Kong port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge. This innovative scheme harnesses the power of artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to automatically verify the identities of registered eligible cross-border private car drivers and passengers, thereby streamlining the process and enabling vehicles to clear customs effortlessly.
