Hong Kong’s new chief John Lee mentioned Tuesday at his first press briefing since taking workplace he would work to ease restrictions on vacationers whereas offsetting the dangers of a coronavirus outbreak overwhelming the well being system.
Hong Kong and mainland China are among the many few locations on the planet nonetheless quarantining arrivals to stem the unfold of the virus two and a half years into the pandemic. Most vacationers coming to Hong Kong should full a seven-day necessary quarantine at designated resorts.
Lee, a former safety official who was the one candidate in Hong Kong’s chief govt election, took workplace on Friday to succeed Carrie Lam.
At his first press convention forward of an Government Council assembly on Tuesday, Lee mentioned Hong Kong is an “worldwide metropolis” and he was “conscious” that Hong Kong should stay open and handy for travellers.
“Nevertheless it’s additionally necessary that we handle the dangers on the identical time so we hold stability,” he mentioned. Lee mentioned town well being secretary is evaluating information to find out how the quarantine size could be adjusted and would formulate choices for Lee to think about.
He additionally mentioned Hong Kong has a “constitutional responsibility” to enact a brand new safety legislation, on high of the nationwide safety legislation imposed by Beijing in 2020, which has erased most political dissent and arrested, hidden or exiled many supporters of democracy. Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, which enacts Article 23 of the Fundamental Regulation, has lengthy been controversial. When the federal government first tried to draft such legal guidelines in 2003, protesters took to the streets in a large demonstration, prompting the federal government to shelve its plans.
The crackdown following the 2019 protests included reshuffling Hong Kong’s legislature. Ought to Lee enact Article 23, the laws is prone to be handed in what’s now a physique of pro-Beijing lawmakers.
Lee mentioned the scenario and safety danger in Hong Kong will likely be assessed earlier than the laws goes into impact. “We’re very assured that we’ll do properly,” he mentioned.
Lee additionally pledged to work on housing points in Hong Kong — the world’s most costly actual property market — and said that he would attempt to “repair short-term points as quickly as potential” and take a look at how out there land might be was “spades.” -ready websites” to extend the pace and effectivity of housing manufacturing.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
