Border Reopening Is In Sight: Tam Yiu-chung

Hong Kong's member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), Tam Yiu-chung, on Sunday urged the government to quickly implement suggestions made by a team of mainland experts on epidemics, to facilitate the reopening of the border.

He was commenting on the visit of a mainland delegation which arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday to study the SAR's measures to tackle the pandemic.

Tam described the visit as a “good message” as it signalled that quarantine-free travel across the border could resume soon.

“If the mainland officials have any suggestions, I hope the SAR government will implement them as quickly as possible. If it can be done, I believe the reopening of the border is in sight,” he said.

“I hope both sides will work together, so Hong Kong citizens who have an urgent need to travel to the mainland can realise their wishes.”

Tam noted that he has been given permission to attend a meeting of the NPCSC in Beijing next month, adding that this is also a good sign.

He was barred from attending the standing committee's meeting in Beijing in October, due to an untraceable Covid-19 case in Hong Kong at the time.

The mainland delegation, accompanied by Health Secretary Sophia Chan and Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan from the Centre for Health Protection, inspected the airport on Sunday morning.