CE Eyes February For Fuller Border Reopening

Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Friday said she is hopeful of a "larger scale" reopening of the border in February next year.

She told a forum this would allow the SAR government to organise some big events, including a seminar to mark the third anniversary of Beijing's outline development plan for the Greater Bay Area.

Lam said various sectors are looking forward to travelling to the mainland without having to undergo quarantine, and talks between SAR and mainland officials on achieving this have been positive.

"Our discussions, as well as exchanges between experts from both sides, have made good progress. So I hope very soon we can bring some good news to Hong Kong residents," she said.

The government has recently tightened a number of Covid restrictions to better align its policies with the mainland's, to help secure the resumption of quarantine-free travel across the border.

In a statement released on Thursday, the SAR government said another meeting with mainland counterparts on the issue is planned.