What’s new: Representatives from Hong Kong’s Legislative Council have sent a request to central leaders in Beijing requesting a system to mutually recognize “health tokens” used in the city, on the mainland and in Macao.
Legco member Junius Ho Kwan-yiu revealed the request on his Facebook page, saying it was made by him and four other Legco members.
Fellow Legco member Alice Mak Mei-kuen was quoted separately in the Ming Pao newspaper saying the entire Legislative Council supported the move.
What’s the background: Hong Kong has become isolated from the rest of the Chinese mainland and nearby Macao due to lack of unified standards for safely clearing movement from one area to another during the global pandemic.
The three areas have close economic ties, but Hong Kong still requires anyone coming to the city to undergo a two-week quarantine – a cumbersome requirement that discourages short-term travel.
Macao and the Chinese mainland’s adjacent Guangdong province began accepting each other’s “health tokens” in May, greatly reducing time to clear customs when traveling between the two. Hong Kong is hoping to do something similar.
Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com)
