Border Between Hong Kong and Mainland China May Get Fully Opened in January, Reports Say

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The border between Hong Kong and mainland China may get fully reopened in January in order to give an impetus to the country’s economy, media reported, citing sources in the city government, on Friday.

According to the Chinese press, Hong Kong intends to fully open its borders with mainland China and resume high-speed train service to China's southern province of Guangdong early next month, which is also welcomed be the authorities in mainland China.

The relevant departments are preparing to test all customs clearance systems on the city's high-speed railroad to the Guangdong province, as well as along other sections of the border, since the authorities need weeks to be fully ready for the easing of travel regulations, an undisclosed government official told press.

The expected reopening follows the city government's decision to lift anti-COVID-19 restrictions. For example, a three-day home isolation for people who came from abroad was canceled earlier this week, despite a significant increase in the number of coronavirus infections in Hong Kong. On Thursday, 17,080 cases were reported in the city, the highest number since March 18.

One of the newspaper’s sources said that the opening of the border had been planned for the middle of the year, close to the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th congress in October, however, it had been delayed due to the unfavorable epidemic situation in the country.

“This time it will be unlikely to have any delays because Beijing has realised the economy for both Hong Kong and the mainland is on the brink of collapse and they really need to rescue the economy which is now on top of their agenda,” a source close to Beijing said, as quoted by the South China Morning Post.

Девушки в защитных масках на украшенной улице в Пекине

© AP Photo / Andy Wong

On December 7, the Chines authorities announced the introduction of measures to optimize COVID-19 policy. The steps include the abolition of indiscriminate PCR testing, the ability for asymptomatic citizens or those with mild symptoms to remain in home isolation, lifting restrictions on online and offline purchases of antipyretics, and accelerating the vaccination of older people.

Most border checkpoints in Hong Kong were closed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In accordance with the existing restrictions, people can enter mainland China only through the city’s airport, as well as checkpoints on the Shenzhen Bay bridge and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge.