Hong Kong's status undermined by Covid curbs, leader says / Photo: May Tse - POOL/AFP
-
Sherilyn Smith Encourages Women to Embrace Scars as Symbols of Resilience
-
Korea's Severe Asthma Patients Blocked from Biologics by Restrictive Reimbursement Rules
-
Belgium Signs Contract for 20 Rheinmetall Skyranger Air Defence Systems
-
Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Signs Pacts With London and Ottawa Institutions at CIIE
-
Spectrocell Strengthens Product Discovery and Customer Engagement with Bioz Badges
-
Fulcrum Metals PLC Announces Fulcrum to Increase Shareholding in Loyalist
-
InterContinental Hotels Group PLC Announces Transaction in Own Shares - November 10
-
New Gold IRA Investing Guide Explains How to Buy Gold in an IRA for American Consumers
-
RBI Data Reveals Divergence in Credit Card Spending and Debit Card Cash Withdrawals
-
First-time boat buyers advised to assess full ownership costs
-
Panthers expected to begin 2027 NRL season away from new stadium
-
Planning and preparation can reduce stress of interstate relocation
-
Sweet As app launches restaurant discovery platform
-
Two more arrested in Carrie Mullane suspected murder investigation
-
Phoenix Restaurants Offer Thanksgiving Dinner to Go for Pickup
-
MLA seeks inquiry into reported sectarian gestures on Ormeau Road
-
Mayo school appeals for information after convent and chapel vandalism
-
Louise O’Reilly attacks Simon Harris over unemployment remarks
-
Virginia overwhelms Arkansas 91-72 behind balanced scoring
-
Canadian soldier Aidan Goulding remembered at Vancouver funeral
-
Second major storm brings destructive winds and outages to British Columbia
-
Tayyab Arif hits 57 on Pakistan Test debut against Sri Lanka
-
Godzilla Minus Zero leads North American box office with $31.6m
-
Robert Trujillo discusses literacy and social justice children’s books
-
Advocate calls for coordinated support for children facing trafficking
-
Civil rights advocate William Bill Tucker dies aged 98
-
Medicare Open Enrollment Ends Dec. 7: Review Your Coverage Options
-
Pennsylvania Democrats secure state trifecta in midterm elections
-
US Treasury order targets bank transfers linked to crypto exchange MEXC
-
Godzilla Minus Zero sets foreign-language box-office opening record
-
Nvidia CEO Controversy Sparks Fears of Tighter U.S. AI Chip Curbs for Samsung and SK hynix
-
Eagles record six sacks as rushing attack struggles against Giants
-
Villeneuve teases James Bond casting at Los Angeles museum gala
-
Thames Water seeks to delay £12bn in debt repayments
-
Nottinghamshire launches specialist rural crime policing team
-
Newark boxing gym expands alternative education programme
-
China confirms talks over possible Xi-Putin-Trump summit
-
Democrats consider impeachment drive against Defence Secretary Hegseth
-
Rail journey offers a slower route to a Berlin city break
-
Energy bill plan could use HMRC income data to target support
-
Arsenal control title race as Manchester United fall into bottom three
-
Business owner earning £6,000 a month tackles £70,000 debt
-
Suspected Krakow gunman dies after attack that killed six
-
Nvidia chief faces inquiry after disclosing affair with suspected Chinese agent
-
Carrick backs Dalot after hostile reception from Manchester United fans
-
Comet returns as online electrical marketplace 14 years after collapse
Hong Kong's status undermined by Covid curbs, leader says
Hong Kong's status as an international hub has been "undermined" by strict coronavirus border controls, outgoing leader Carrie Lam admitted Friday, just a day after saying she would not further lift restrictions before departing.
The once vibrant Asian business hub is mired in its third year of pandemic isolation as it hews to China's zero-Covid strategy, which seeks to control outbreaks with lockdowns, social distancing and border controls.
Hong Kong last month reopened to vaccinated non-residents but international arrivals must still undergo seven days of quarantine.
"The border control measures have really made people very impatient, and of course, have undermined Hong Kong's status as a hub," Lam said in an interview with CNBC.
"If you cannot travel freely to other places and into the mainland, how could you be a hub?"
Lam is due to step down on June 30 after a five-year term that saw huge democracy protests and Covid-19 outbreaks that left more than 9,000 people dead.
On Thursday Lam announced that pandemic restrictions will not be further loosened during her remaining time in office.
But in the Friday interview, Lam agreed that a more flexible quarantine policy would bring people back to Hong Kong.
"Once we could bring down the hotel quarantine period or, as some have suggested, replace it with home quarantine measures, I'm sure we will be seeing a lot of people coming to Hong Kong," she told CNBC.
Addressing lawmakers on Thursday, Lam said Hong Kong was stuck between China's zero-Covid approach and foreign countries' decision to live with the virus.
Beijing remains committed to completely quashing all outbreaks and President Xi Jinping reaffirmed the policy on Thursday, saying it must be "unswervingly upheld", according to state news agency Xinhua.
Lam on Thursday said there was no chance of reopening the border with mainland China in the near future.
Hong Kong's next leader John Lee has said one of his top priorities is to reconnect the city with the mainland, though he gave no specific timetable.
Lee previously acknowledged that travel curbs have caused "inconvenience" for international travellers but made no commitment to reduce the quarantine period.
J.Oliveira--AMWN