In Hong Kong, all container terminal facilities are financed, developed, owned and operated by the private sector, a practice adopted by few major international ports in the world. The Government's role is to undertake long-term strategic planning for port facilities and provide the necessary supporting infrastructure, such as building roads and dredging access channels to the terminals.

The Hong Kong Port Development Council (PDC), chaired by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, is a dedicated, high-level advisory body comprising key players from the private sector and the Government which discusses and coordinates port development and promotion. The PDC advises the Government on the port development strategy and port facility planning to meet future demands. It also assists the Government in promoting Hong Kong as a regional hub port and a leading container port in the world.

A Port Development Advisory Group, formed under the PDC, assists the council in examining port cargo forecasts and assessing port development needs in the light of changing demand, port capacity, productivity, performance and competition both locally and regionally.