The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam is currently in Beijing, to discuss plans with the central government to help revive the city's coronavirus-affected economy, and to deliberate over reopening the borders with mainland China as coronavirus infections in Hong Kong dwindle.
The meetings set for Wednesday through Friday will include discussions on how the semi-autonomous Chinese territory can integrate into China's national development, and cooperate with Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city that borders Hong Kong, as part of the Greater Bay Area integrated economic scheme.
Avowing support for the new economic development design of “dual circulation,” Lam hoped that the ministry will support Hong Kong enterprises in acquiring business opportunities in the mainland. To that end, Lam said that many Hong Kong enterprises that engage in external trade are under pressure due to the unilateral measures of the United States and the epidemic. She also stated that more than 240 Hong Kong enterprises are participating in the third China International Import Expo under the support of the Ministry of Commerce, representing an increase of 20 per cent over the past year.
China on October 11 unveiled a new comprehensive reform plan to build Shenzhen into a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics by 2025. Lam further said the new plan is expected to build new dynamics of institutional innovation into the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and will offer greater opportunities for cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen.
Additionally, she also aims to discuss when people can be allowed to travel across the border without having to quarantine. “That is very important to economic activities, from the provision of professional services, visiting relatives and going to schools,” she said. The city's economy has been gravely impacted due to the pandemic, which has also been exacerbated by the closing of its borders to tourists since the end of March.
Furthermore, Lam also met with and expressed gratitude towards the Ministry of Commerce for significantly relieving the pressure of supplies on Hong Kong especially during the early stage of the COVID-19 epidemic, when anti-epidemic supplies across the country were in tight supply.
Lam's trip to Beijing comes after she postponed her annual policy address, two days before it was scheduled to take place last month. This address is typically given at the start of each legislative year and will be rescheduled for later in November.
Despite her dull approval ratings, the Chinese government has advocated its full support behind the Chief Executive, a pro-Beijing appointee. “For our economy to revive, we need the support of the mainland. We have to better integrate into the national development plan,” she said. Millions in Hong Kong hit the streets last year for seven long months of protests urging for greater freedoms and police accountability. Both Beijing and Lam have rejected those demands and dismissed the unrest as part of a foreign plot.
Hong Kong Leader Visits Beijing to Discuss Economy
Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam is on a 5-day visit to the mainland to discuss health, development, and the revival of Hong Kong's economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
November 6, 2020
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam meets President Xi Jinping in Beijing in December 2018. Photo: ISD