The increasing flow of investment and people facilitated by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge heralds a promising future for cross-border economic collaboration, officials said on Tuesday, adding that the closer ties are emblematic of the integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Huang Zhihao, mayor of the Zhuhai Municipal People’s Government, said at a promotion conference that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge is bustling with activities and the three cities should proactively explore new ways to collaborate.

“Over the past year, we have focused on maximizing the use and management of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, exerting all efforts to enhance the bridge and port service capabilities, and fully advancing the construction of the new passage for the economy and trade,” Huang said.

READ MORE: Releasing HZMB's potential by taking necessary measures

The bridge has set new records in vehicle and passenger traffic, according to Huang. This year, on average, over 14,000 vehicles have passed through the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge daily, with the highest daily traffic exceeding 19,500 vehicles on April 1.

Also, customs clearance services are demonstrating increased efficiency as the capacity for one-way clearance of small vehicles at the port has increased from an average of 440 vehicles per hour to over 1,000 vehicles per hour.

Since the beginning of this year, the number of Hong Kong and Macao travelers entering the mainland through the Zhuhai Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has exceeded 6 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 126 percent.

Zhang Jinsong, director-general of the Guangdong Department of Commerce, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, has been playing an important role in channeling investment and logistics.

Data from the Guangdong Department of Commerce show that goods transportation via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has achieved complete coverage of all 31 provinces on the mainland. The import and export value in the first half of the year grew 16.5 percent year-on-year, surpassing 1 trillion Chinese yuan ($139.5 billion).

The promotional event held at AsiaWorld-Expo near the Hong Kong International Airport attracted around 400 government officials and business leaders, with 20 projects worth 1.85 billion yuan signed on-site, involving biomedicine, new energy, artificial intelligence, cross-border e-commerce, and other sectors.

Liu Chun-san, the acting secretary for Transport and Logistics, said the economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and Zhuhai have always been intimate.

With its free market, well-developed legal system and top financial services, Hong Kong has been the premier trade and logistics gateway between South China and the world.

Meanwhile, Zhuhai, as the core city on the west bank of the Pearl River Estuary, is an important advanced manufacturing base for the GBA as well as a logistics and distribution center.

READ MORE: HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge sees record-breaking traffic

“Hong Kong is the largest source of external investment in Zhuhai, and the two cities have been working together closely in various areas over the years,” Liu said.

Since 2006, the Airport Authority Hong Kong has been collaborating with Zhuhai in the management of the Zhuhai Airport, illustrating one of the ways in which the two cities complement each other's strengths and cooperate in a win-win situation.

Liu said Hong Kong will ramp up efforts to boost transport and logistics connections with Zhuhai to contribute to the integrated development of the GBA.