Behind the curtain︰Reopening of border between Hong Kong and mainland hinges on the stance taken by mainland provinces and cities
As it is more possible now for Hong Kong to see the number of the infected decrease to zero, quite a number of figures from the business sector hope the border between Hong Kong and the mainland reopens soon. However, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen mentioned that vaccination is the prerequisite for Hong Kong people traveling to the mainland exempted for quarantine. In other words, besides the number of the infected decreasing to zero in both Hong Kong and mainland China, Hong Kong people getting inoculated is also needed for the possibility of the border to reopen. Even so, a source from the political circle pointed out that the Hong Kong government has been craving for striving for reopening of the border, but the arrangement is dependent on the stance taken by the mainland. As the central government and various provinces and cities on the mainland deem the coronavirus pandemic the main priority, “the Hong Kong government having done its best unilaterally is not sufficient for reopening the border”.
「A request doesn’t guarantee a nod at it」
After understanding the issue via various conduits, legislator Michael Tien Puk-sun from Rountable noted the other day that unless some big events occur in Hong Kong, he is confident that the border is going to reopen in the third quarter this year at the earliest, and the last quarter latest. The source from the political circle said he learns from the pro-establishment camp from time to time that the Hong Kong government is immensely proactive in striving for border reopening. “As long as the number of confirmed cases gets down to zero and the vaccination rate is high enough, it will be probable for the government to succeed in reopening the border.” But some friends of his from the mainland told him that the mainland is exceptionally cautious about confining the plague. Though local infection is almost gone on the mainland, the central government, provinces and cities are still on full alert, not least to imported cases. So, despite Hong Kong having done its best, it can only gain a chance to strive for border reopening. “At the end of the day, it is dependent on the stance to be taken by the mainland government. Even if Hong Kong has done whatever it can, a request doesn’t guarantee a nod at it.”
Actually, Patrick Nip said earlier the other day that though the number of the infected getting down to zero is significant for striving for reopening of the border, there is no timetable yet. He also admitted that is not what the Hong Kong government is able to control, as it hinges on the judgement by the mainland authorities about the epidemic conditions in Hong Kong. With the recent imported cases from Hong Kong, there are still variables in what Michael Tien anticipated: the border reopens in the third quarter at the earliest, and the fourth latest.
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