https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/21/world/hong-kong-zhuhai-macau-bridge-intl/index.html
World's longest sea-crossing bridge opens between Hong Kong and China
Fierce criticism
The bridge project has come in for fierce criticism in Hong Kong, where there was little public demand or appetite for greater links to either Macau or Zhuhai, and fears the city will be swamped by tourists from mainland China.
In 2016, Hong Kong saw 56.7 million tourist arrivals, compared to 37.6 million for the UK, a much larger country.
For critics of the Chinese government, the bridge is seen as a tool to drag the city -- which boasts a semi-democratic legislature and independent judiciary and has seen numerous mass protests in recent years -- closer into Beijing's grip.
Mo and other critics also point to the huge amount of money spent by Hong Kong -- upwards of $9 billion -- while the city is dealing with an acute lack of public housing and widespread poverty.
"Hong Kong has had to fund a lot of the bridge, but we won't see many benefits here," Mo said.
...
While an impressive engineering feat, the building of the bridge brought its own controversies. The Pearl River Delta is home to an endangered Chinese white dolphin population that has been buffeted by massive land reclamation efforts in Hong Kong and other cities.
Conservation experts previously told CNN they feared the bridge, as well as ongoing expansion of Hong Kong airport, could be the final nail in the dolphins' coffin, sending the local population into terminal decline.
In response to environmental concerns over the bridge, the Hong Kong government has provided for the creation of extra marine parks to protect dolphins and other aquatic life, but some experts say this may be too late to reduce the effect of the construction already carried out.
The bridge has also faced considerable public criticism over safety standards. Seven workers died in constructing the bridge, and another 275 were injured. Hong Kong officials have previously blamed the death toll on lack of manpower, and earlier this year a court fined several subcontractors over the issue.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/china/china-opens-mega-bridge-linking-hong-kong-mainland-n923141
China opens mega-bridge linking Hong Kong to mainland
That line has vastly decreased travel times but also raised concerns about Beijing's growing influence because mainland Chinese law applies within part of the line's Hong Kong terminus.
To Claudia Mo, a Hong Kong democratic politician, the new bridge's political significance outweighs its practical usefulness.
"It's not exactly necessary, because Hong Kong is connected to mainland China in every way already, by land, by air, by sea," Mo told The Associated Press.
But they still need it as a political symbol or icon to remind Hong Kong people ... that you are connected to the motherland, with this very grand bridge. It's almost like an umbilical cord."
Five key facts about the world's longest sea bridge
Controversy
Online commenters in Hong Kong have complained about the bridge’s restricted access. “Such a huge investment using the Hong Kong taxpayer’s money... yet basically it is not open to us at all,” said one comment on the South China Morning Post website.
Pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu described the bridge as a “politically driven mega-project without urgent need.” Another bridge is being built between nearby Shenzhen and Zhongshan, just north of Zhuhai, meaning that by 2030 traffic is predicted to drop significantly on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge. “Basically it is redundant,” he said.
Critics say the multi-billion dollar bridge is an attempt to integrate Hong Kong into China as fears grow that the city’s cherished freedoms are being eroded. Both Hong Kong and Macau are part of China, but are special administrative regions, which have their own governments, legal systems, and policies. There are concerns this bridge is a sign of Beijing’s desire to bring the regions more firmly under its control.
BBC
Hong Kong-Zhuhai bridge opens
Chinese officials say it will generate up to 10 trillion yuan for the economy, but one Hong Kong lawmaker cast doubt on that figure.
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