Exclusive | Incoming leader John Lee working on strategy to reopen Hong Kong border with mainland China, may reduce quarantine for arrivals
- John Lee concedes scrapping curbs may take time to achieve but says his administration can set interim goals towards that end
- He also reveals he plans to attend annual Apec leaders’ summit in Bangkok in November, despite being under US sanctions
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‘What needs to be done will be’: Hong Kong’s next leader John Lee | Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo
Lee, who has been sanctioned by Washington since 2020 over his role in the implementation of Hong Kong’s national security law, said one of his goals was to personally travel to the next meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, of which the city has been a member since 1991.
“We should talk about the attraction of Hong Kong, the appeal of Hong Kong to the international world. We are a very competitive, open society with opportunities. It is also to dispel all the badmouthing and fearmongering about the so-called erosion of freedoms and rights, which are protected by the Basic Law … and also that we have judicial independence,” he said.
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Too much ‘fearmongering’ about Hong Kong, says city’s next leader John Lee
On the pandemic front, Lee stressed the need to prioritise the full reopening of Hong Kong’s borders with the mainland for the resumption of trade and travel, but he also recognised the importance of the city’s connectivity with the rest of the world, describing such issues as being “close to my heart”.
