Hong Kong leader’s Thailand trip for Apec summit a big step in regaining foreign confidence in city’s return to normality, former top adviser says
- Former Executive Council convenor Bernard Chan voices hope authorities can ‘take the next step’ in further easing Covid curbs
- Chan is among 20-strong delegation that travelled to Bangkok earlier this month with Chief Executive John Lee
The first overseas trip by Hong Kong’s leader to a major trade summit amid the Covid-19 pandemic marked a significant move in enhancing foreign confidence in the city’s return to normality, according to a former top government adviser.
Bernard Chan, an ex-convenor of the Executive Council on Sunday also voiced hope the government could “take the next step” to further ease Covid-19 restrictions, after authorities recently allowed newly arrived travellers to visit venues such as museums.
Chan, chairman of the Hong Kong-Thailand Business Council, was among the 20-strong delegation that flew to Bangkok with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum earlier this month.
Lee had earlier pledged to ramp up efforts to rally regional support for the city to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world’s largest free-trade deal.
“The business trip to Thailand meant a lot, as it was the first [overseas] trip led by the chief executive since the pandemic began 2½ years ago. It sent a message to locals and the outside world that Hong Kong is returning to normality,” Chan told a radio programme.
“There has been a lot of negative news on Hong Kong, but Lee was very popular when he met leaders of many countries, with many people chatting with him.”
The chief executive’s trip was seen as a litmus test for the willingness of other countries to work with him. Lee has been under US sanctions since 2020 for his role in implementing the Beijing-imposed national security law in Hong Kong.
