Mubasher: Chinese President Xi Jinping officially opened the longest sea bridge in the world at a ceremony in the southern city of Zhuhai.

The $20 billion project further links Hong Kong, Macau and the southern Chinese mainland city of Zhuhai, with a 55-kilometre crossing which has been under construction for nearly nine years and includes a snacking road bridge and underwater tunnel.

The bridge comes as a key part of the development of the Greater Bay Area, a project in which an economic hub would be created to connect nine southern mainland cities to Hong Kong and Macau.

The bridge would be open for the public on Wednesday.

Proponents of the bridge promote it as an engineering marvel that will boost business and significantly reduce travel time.

The bridge would help turn Hong Kong from a “connector to a more active participant,” Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said.

However, critics believe that it is one more tool to drag Hong Kong into China as the city cherished a semi-democratic legislature and independent judiciary.