Beijing:The Post has learned that Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-first chiu's official trip to Guangzhou and Shenzhen has been postponed due to pandemic concerns. This could further delay discussions about reopening the border with mainland China.
According to a source, the chief executive's trip was postponed due to the deteriorating Covid-19 situations on both sides on Wednesday.
Originally, Lee was scheduled to leave for Guangzhou on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, he presided over the opening ceremony of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology's new campus in Nansha. Shenzhen was the next stop on his two-day itinerary.
Lee was expected to meet with counterparts from the mainland to talk about cross-border agreements and anti-epidemic initiatives, according to sources.
In response to questions from the media about his visit, Lee stated on Saturday that he was very aware of the need to keep the city connected to both the mainland and the rest of the world.
He said it was improper to reveal meeting specifics at the time and that the government would make additional announcements once the two sides had come to an understanding, but he made no further mention of the border's reopening or a related timeline.
Health officials in Hong Kong have reported 8,848 new cases of coronavirus infections as of Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Shenzhen reported 35 cases, with the more contagious Omicron subvariant BA.5 being found there for the first time. In order to contain the recent outbreak, authorities imposed lockdown measures, closing 24 train stations and 335 bus terminals. Additionally, the districts of Futian and Lo Wu have stopped offering dine-in services.
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