Hong Kong leader to travel to Beijing to seek financial aid



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HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will travel to Beijing on Tuesday (November 3) to meet with Chinese officials to seek help in reviving Hong Kong’s economy and to discuss reopening the borders with mainland China to as coronavirus infections decline in your city.

Lam said the meetings, scheduled for Wednesday to Friday, will include discussions on how Hong Kong can be integrated into China’s national development, as well as how it can cooperate with Shenzhen, a southern Chinese city that borders Hong Kong, as part of the Great Bay. Integrated economic regime of the zone.

He also told reporters that he plans to discuss when Hong Kong and mainland China will be able to resume the flow of people across the border without quarantine.

READ: Hong Kong to further relax COVID-19 restrictions on bars and restaurants, reopen beaches

Since March, residents of mainland China and Hong Kong have to be quarantined for two weeks when crossing the border due to the pandemic.

“That is very important for economic activities, from providing professional services, visiting relatives and going to schools,” Lam said.

Lam’s trip to Beijing comes after he postponed his annual political speech two days before last month’s scheduled date, saying that Beijing’s support would allow him to deliver a speech later that would boost confidence in the economic future of Lam. Hong Kong.

Confidence in Hong Kong’s semi-autonomous status, promised to the city when Beijing regained control of the former British colony in 1997, has been shaken since mainland authorities imposed a national security law on the territory this summer.

The city’s economy has also been affected by the pandemic, with its borders closed to tourists since the end of March.

Regarding the US presidential elections, Lam said he hopes the next president will assess the importance of Hong Kong in China-US relations.

“I hope the new American administration will handle relations with Hong Kong comprehensively, taking into account the interests of the many American companies in Hong Kong that employ large numbers of people, and will not allow political considerations to have an unwarranted effect. . effect in Hong Kong, “he said.

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