Green light to resume normal travel with Chinese mainland welcomed

The Hong Kong community said that President Xi Jinping's words when meeting with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu during Lee's four-day debut duty visit to Beijing have greatly boosted the confidence of residents and the international community in the city and paved the way for the Hong Kong SAR's future work.

In addition, the central government's nod to resuming normal travel between the Chinese mainland and the SAR is the best new year gift to Hong Kong and the greatest achievement of Lee's visit, and it shows the central government's continuous help, support and care for the SAR, the city's leaders from various sectors said.

Lee was received by Xi and Premier Li Keqiang on separate occasions in Beijing during his visit, which began on Wednesday and ended on Saturday. Lee briefed them on the latest economic, social and political situation in Hong Kong, and the leaders fully recognized Lee's and the SAR's work.

Tam Yiu-chung, a Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, said Xi's firm support for "one country, two systems" is a clear message to encourage and bolster the confidence of Hong Kong residents that Hong Kong will have a prosperous future if it can integrate itself into the overall development of the country.

Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said Xi's words were not only recognition of Lee's and the SAR government's work and efforts, but also important instructions and guidance for future work. He said the president expected Hong Kong to dovetail its own development with the nation's key development strategies, aligning its future development with that of the nation.

The country is trying to strengthen regional cooperation in Asia in a bid to explore its room for development, and Hong Kong can play a role in this, said Lau.

Hong Kong can leverage the advantages that it enjoys under "one country, two systems" to deepen the city and country's international cooperation, as having more working partners in the non-Western world is important amid the West's suppression efforts, Lau said.

Kenneth Leung Yuk-wai, a lawmaker and chairman of the Hong Kong United Youth Association, said that Xi's praise of Lee shows that under the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", Hong Kong society now has a new social atmosphere.

Hong Kong is steadily moving on the right track of "one country, two systems", and this has boosted the confidence of international investors in Hong Kong, Leung said.

Innes Tang, chairman of Politihk Social Strategic, a local nonprofit political organization, said that Xi's words show that the new SAR government has made an excellent start and Hong Kong will continue to play an essential role in national development.

The icing on the cake for Lee's debut duty visit was the green light given by the central government for a gradual and orderly resumption of normal travel between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong by the middle of next month. While announcing the news to the media after returning to Hong Kong on Saturday, Lee said the government will set up a task force comprising members of 15 policy bureaus and chaired by Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki to iron out the plan with the mainland authorities as soon as possible.

Lawmaker Edward Leung Hei called the resumption of normal travel "the best gift from the central government to Hong Kong". He suggested that full preparations be made for normal travel in order to be ready for a large flow of people once travel resumes.

Starry Lee Wai-king, a legislator and chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said she was "extremely excited" about the long-awaited resumption of normal travel and hoped relevant measures could be implemented as soon as possible.

oasishu@chinadailyhk.com