The government is promoting financing on the construction of a bridge linking Hong Kong and Macau, and Zhuhai in the southern Guangdong Province.

Li Miaojuan, director of Guangdong provincial reform and development commission, said yesterday a consensus on financing the bridge construction has been reached.

The three sides have agreed to share the subsidy amount by adhering to the principle of equalization of cost-to-benefit ratios which takes into account the economic benefits to each side, she said.

Hong Kong will be responsible for 50.2 percent of the construction fund, the Chinese mainland 35.1 percent and Macau 14.7 percent, according to consensus.

The bridge's main body will be about 29.6 kilometers. To the west, it will land on an artificial island off Gongbei. To the east, it will land on an artificial island built for the tunnel section.

It will be a six-lane expressway with a designed vehicle speed of 100kmh. To ensure unimpeded sea traffic of the main navigation channels toward Guangzhou and Shenzhen ports, there will be a tunnel linking the two artificial islands.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2008)