Letters | Hong Kong, hammered by the coronavirus and protests, must look to the Greater Bay Area for economic growth

  • Closing borders is not the solution as it only creates panic. Macau has managed to contain the spread of the virus without a border shutdown
  • To reboot its flagging economy, Hong Kong must rise to its role as innovation hub in the Greater Bay Area

Hongkongers return from a fishing trip to their home in Lok Ma Chau in Hong Kong, with the Shenzhen skyline in the distance, on October 29, 2019. Photo: Reuters
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has now closed 10 out of Hong Kong’s 13 border crossings with the mainland to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Unfortunately, the partial shutdown has not worked well. The total number of cases in Hong Kong has risen to at least 65. In Macau, the government successfully contained the spread of the virus without a border shutdown.
Closing the border creates panic and the illusion of a supply shortage. A rumour of a shortage of household items has caused people in Hong Kong to stockpile goods, with long queues forming outside grocery stores and supermarkets. The market has responded by increasing the price of these items, further igniting fear.
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