bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Kanis Leung

Hongkongers’ hopes of spending their summer holiday abroad are still hanging in the balance, the commerce minister has told the Post, even though the city has planned to form a travel bubble with Thailand.
In an exclusive interview, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah struck a cautious note on the possibility of forming travel bubbles with countries that have successfully contained the coronavirus during the peak travel season.
When a travel bubble is formed between Hong Kong and another region, city residents with a valid health certificate stating they are free of the coronavirus will be exempt from mandatory quarantine while visiting that destination.
“It’s hard to say. If both sides are satisfied [with the conditions], I think individual small bubbles may be created. But they will not be so extensive,” Yau said.
He added he hoped Thailand would be part of the small bubbles Hong Kong wanted to create, but he did not specify a date for rolling out the arrangement.
Hong Kong’s tourism has been paralysed since February when all but three of the city’s border checkpoints were closed to contain the pandemic.

The city’s arrival figures slumped 88.2 per cent year-on-year in the first five months of 2020 to 3.5 million, wracked by a double whammy of anti-government protests and the Covid-19 pandemic.
As the pandemic was still raging across the world, Yau said he did not see any immediate loosening of global lockdowns.
“I don’t think any immediate reopening of the boundaries or border [check]points will take place, particularly when the pandemic is still hitting the world very hard,” he said.
Call to form ‘travel bubbles’ with neighbours that have pandemic under control
As of Sunday, at least 11.2 million people had been infected with the virus globally and more than 528,000 had died, the largest number of cases being in the United States, Brazil and Russia.
Hong Kong has so far recorded 1,268 Covid-19 cases, with seven fatalities.
Last Monday, the Thai government announced its decision to set up a special cross-border travel arrangement with five economies, including Hong Kong.
From last Wednesday, a handful of short-stay business travellers from Hong Kong have been allowed into Thailand and they will need to be tested for Covid-19 before departure and on arrival, according to Xinhua news agency.
The protocol Hong Kong proposed [for forming travel bubbles] is very simple – 100 per cent pre-departure testing by mutually recognised laboratories
Edward Yau, commerce minister
The Hong Kong government had earlier said a team would start discussing the travel arrangements with Thai authorities in the coming week or two, raising hopes that both sides might try to work out a quota system to allow tourists to visit each other’s regions without having to undergo mandatory quarantine.
Yau said the city had been carefully picking its travel bubble partners. Key considerations included the pandemic situation at the destinations, the foreign government’s ability to contain the contagion, and its public health protocol.
“The protocol Hong Kong proposed is very simple – 100 per cent pre-departure testing by mutually recognised laboratories,” he said.
“How many places have the ability to carry out such tests? They have to be able to do it and have to make these tests commercially available.”
He said Thailand and Hong Kong were willing to explore an arrangement because their pandemic situations were comparable.
Thailand has been a popular holiday destination among Hongkongers. Over the past five years, nearly 900,000 Hongkongers visited the country every year on average. More than 500,000 Thais visit Hong Kong every year.


Hong Kong is also forming a travel bubble with Macau and Guangdong.
But in June, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said authorities would have to overcome some technical issues before the travel bubble could be formed. The Macau government also reportedly said local gaming and integrated resort operators should prepare for the borders to remain closed during this year’s summer holiday period.
As the tourism industry went into a standstill worldwide because of the pandemic, local tourism officials looked to the domestic market to help the industry ride out the storm.
Yau said local tourism might focus on themes such as enjoying vegetarian food or other cheap packages that proved popular in the past.

The trade could also seize opportunities and create new experiences by repackaging the natural and historical resources in Hong Kong, he said.
“There are already a lot of things available in green tourism or geotourism,” he said.
“These things have always been here. Just that in the past, there were other easier ways [to do business], so some people chose to earn money that way. If we work well during the current period, words will spread. Other visitors to Hong Kong will also follow the style.”
He said tourists would not come in big groups soon and the city would have to look for options rather than branding itself as a shopping centre or a food paradise.
Tourism sector lawmaker Yiu Si-wing said he was not hopeful that residents would be able to travel overseas in July and August, because various travel bubble details were still in the making and timelines had not been released yet.
But Yiu said the trade wanted to find a testing point as soon as possible, so the authorities could find out whether travel bubbles would be popular and whether there were cross-infection risks.
“We can only make a review after a bubble is created,” he said.
He suggested if a bubble could run smoothly for a week or two, the authorities could consider giving travel quotas to tourists such as tour groups.


Travel bubbles: commerce minister sounds cautious note on Hongkongers’ holiday plans

The departure terminal at Hong Kong International Airport wears a deserted look amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photo: May Tse

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Edward Yau Tang-wah poses for a photo at the SCMP Studio in Causeway Bay. 02JUL20 SCMP/ Warton Li

MACAU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 04: A motorcyclist stops for a traffic light in front of the Casino Lisboa on February 4, 2020 in Macau, China. Macau government announced to close casinos for two weeks after a hotel worker is infected. Macau has 10 confirmed cases of Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), with over 20,000 confirmed cases around the world, the virus has so far claimed over 400 lives.(Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)

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Hong Kong

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Coronavirus

Economic Impact


Edward Yau looks forward to forming a travel bubble with Thailand, but does not specify any dates for rolling out arrangements
He says the tourism sector should seize opportunities by repackaging Hong Kong’s natural and historical resources



Edward Yau looks forward to forming a travel bubble with Thailand, but does not specify any dates for rolling out arrangements.


Hong Kong travel bubbles

Exclusive | Travel bubbles: commerce minister sounds cautious note on Hongkongers’ holiday plans

Edward Yau looks forward to forming a travel bubble with Thailand, but does not specify any dates for rolling out arrangements He says the tourism sector should seize opportunities by repackaging Hong Kong’s natural and historical resources

Edward Yau looks forward to forming a travel bubble with Thailand, but does not specify any dates for rolling out arrangements

He says the tourism sector should seize opportunities by repackaging Hong Kong’s natural and historical resources