According to Lee, the full reopening will take place in a gradual and orderly manner, he said at a press conference at Hong Kong airport this morning. By gradual, Lee refers to a daily quota of travelers and a critical look at where border checks should take place.
To this end, Lee’s team will hold talks with local authorities in Shenzhen and Guangdong to come up with a plan. In addition, a working group is being set up to deal with the reopening of the border.
Closed for three years
The border between Hong Kong and mainland China has been effectively closed for almost three years. There is also a quota for the number of visitors who can travel from Hong Kong to China, where they must first spend five days in hotel quarantine. Visitors from the mainland are also required to self-quarantine upon their return. If borders open, Hong Kong’s GDP would grow by about 7.6%, Goldman Sachs estimates.