'Open Border So HK Won't Miss Out On Five-year Plan'

Lawmakers have called on mainland and Hong Kong authorities to start discussions on reopening the border as a visiting delegation from Beijing said the SAR should not miss out on development opportunities in the country's five-year plan.

The deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Huang Liuquan, told a seminar for lawmakers on Monday that the SAR should use a "favourable environment" to focus on development.

"The 14th five-year plan started this year, but eight months had passed already and I believe it'll be hard to reopen the border in the upcoming few months," said Felix Chung of the Liberal Party.

Cross-border exchanges and business dealings have been disrupted because of Covid-19.

Chung added he's in favour of having professionals from the aviation, legal, finance and cultural sectors work and expand their businesses on the mainland.

"The business sector is ready to invest," he said. "Hong Kong and overseas businesses all think that the future market is in China, but we're hindered by the border closure."

Starry Lee of the DAB said her party told Huang that people want to see the border reopened.

Lee hopes local and central government officials will support and facilitate the idea.

Alice Mak of the Federation of Trade Unions also said she supports reopening the border.

Legco President Andrew Leung, for his part, said the event would help lawmakers make appropriate policy proposals.

"I think the significance is very simple. (On) important issues concerning the well-being of Hong Kong and the future of Hong Kong, the central government can send expert teams to directly work with and interact with legislators," he said.

He also said he sees nothing wrong with the high-profile visit to Legco by mainland officials, adding that the seminar has allowed lawmakers to better understand central government policies that affect Hong Kong.