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Coronavirus Hong Kong
OpinionComment
Ken Chu
Ken Chu

Opinion | Hong Kong-mainland border: reopening will be a welcome boost to lives and livelihoods, but challenges remain

  • Even a limited reopening between Hong Kong and Guangdong next month will be a relief for struggling businesses and cross-border families
  • Privacy concerns aside, officials should also consider the practical challenges faced by the elderly in using health code apps on smartphones

Reading Time:3 minutes
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A woman crosses into Hong Kong on September 15. Only limited groups of people have been able to enter the city from the mainland, causing tremendous stress among the business community and local residents. Photo: Sam Tsang
Ken Chu
Hong Kong has been in talks with the central government in an attempt to fully open the border with the mainland, which has been practically closed with strict mandatory quarantine measures since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Only limited groups of people have been able to enter Hong Kong. These included, until November 12, senior financial executives, whose presence was deemed to be in the interests of Hong Kong’s economy, as well as Hong Kong and non-Hong Kong residents eligible for the Return2HK and Come2HK travel schemes respectively.

This has caused tremendous stress among members of the business community and local residents who have businesses or family ties on the mainland.

If you are an ordinary salaried worker, you could potentially risk losing your job if you have to undergo a lengthy quarantine period both on entering the mainland and returning to Hong Kong because you want to visit your family across the border. Now, there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

The State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office has reportedly expressed optimism about reopening the border. A spokesman was recently quoted as saying that “both sides [China and Hong Kong] met each other halfway and the full reopening of the border is progressing in an orderly manner”.

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Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has also said the reopening could be gradual. However, according to local media reports, while there will be quarantine-free travel, it will initially be limited to between Hong Kong and Guangdong, with Shenzhen serving as the key border point.

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