Executives from the world-leading railway vehicle manufacturer said the company aims to use the former airport site as a test bed for an autonomous bus system, and a potential runway for overseas expansion.

They added that CRRC intends to use trackless, electric autonomous rapid transit (ART) buses to link Kai Tak to the wider city, at a lower cost than a metro or tram system.

A successful project in Hong Kong may help the transport giant win further projects in large metropolises outside China.

However, geopolitics and concerns over data and privacy may threaten to stymie the plans, with observers arguing that to win trust and orders CRRC must compete on more than just price.

Earlier this week, the South China Morning Post joined a site trip to a production base in Yibin, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, where several ART lines had been operating since 2018. On board one of the vehicles crossing downtown Yibin, Yang Tao, general manager of CRRC subsidiary Zhixing, the operator of the local ART system, commented on the system’s potential.