BEIJING (AP) – After two years of separation from his wife in mainland China, Hong Kong resident Cheung Seng-bun made sure to be among the first in line after border crossings reopened Sunday .
The ability of residents of the semi-autonomous city in southern China to cross is one of the most visible signs of China’s easing of border restrictions, as travelers arriving from abroad are no longer required to undergo the quarantine
“I’m in a hurry to get back,” Cheung, carrying a heavy suitcase, told The Associated Press as he prepared to cross at Lok Ma Chau station.
However, travelers crossing between Hong Kong and mainland China must still show a negative COVID-19 test taken within the past 48 hours, a measure China has protested when imposed by other countries.
Hong Kong has been hit hard by the virus, and its land and sea border checkpoints with the mainland have been largely closed for nearly three years. Despite the risk of new infections, the reopening, which will allow tens of thousands of people who have made advance online reservations to cross each day, is expected to provide a much-needed boost to Hong Kong’s tourism and retail sectors.
During a visit to the station on Sunday morning, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said the parties will continue to expand the number of crossing points from the current seven to 14.
“The goal is to return as soon as possible to normal life before the epidemic,” Lee told reporters. “We want to restore cooperation between the two sides.”
The Communist Party newspaper Global Times quoted Tan Luming, an official at the Shenzhen port on the Hong Kong border, as saying that about 200 passengers were expected to take the ferry to Hong Kong, while another 700 had to travel by the other direction, the first. reopening day Tan said a steady increase in passenger numbers is expected over the next few days.
“I stayed up all night and got up at 4:00 in the morning as I am very excited to return to the mainland to see my 80-year-old mother,” said a Hong Kong woman identified only as by his last name, Cheung. he arrived in Shenzhen, where he was presented with “roses and health kits,” the paper said.
Hong Kong media said around 300,000 travel bookings have already been made from the city to mainland China.
A limited ferry service had also been restored from China’s Fujian province to the Taiwanese-controlled island of Kinmen, off the Chinese coast.
The border crossing with Russia at Suifenhe in the northern tip of Heilongjiang province also resumed normal operations, just in time for the opening of the ice festival in the capital Harbin, a major tourist attraction .
However, China’s borders remain largely sealed, with only a fraction of the previous number of international flights arriving at major airports.
The international airport in the main capital Beijing was expecting eight flights from abroad on Sunday, according to the airport. Shanghai, China’s largest city, received its first international flight under the new policy at 6:30 a.m. with only a string of other international flights to follow.
That number is now expected to rise, with booking inquiries for overseas flights overwhelming some online travel services ahead of the Lunar New Year travel rush later this month. Capital International is preparing to reopen arrivals halls that have been quiet for the better part of the past three years.
Meanwhile, Shanghai announced it would resume issuing regular passports to Chinese for overseas travel and family visits, as well as renewing and extending visas for foreigners. These restrictions have had a particularly devastating effect on foreign businessmen and students in the key Asian financial hub.
China is now facing a surge in cases and hospitalizations in major cities and is bracing for further spread in less developed areas with the start of China’s biggest holiday of the year, which will start in the next few days.
Officials say they expect domestic rail and air travel to double from the same period last year, bringing the overall numbers closer to those of the 2019 holiday period before the pandemic.
Meanwhile, controversy continues over the testing requirements imposed on Chinese travelers by foreign governments, most recently Germany and Sweden. On Saturday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged citizens to avoid “unnecessary” travel to China, noting the country’s rise in coronavirus cases and saying China’s health system is “overburdened “.
German regulation also allows spot checks on arrival and Germany, like other European nations, will test aircraft sewage for possible new virus variants. The measures come into effect at midnight on Monday and will last until April 7.
Apparently concerned about its reputation, China says the testing requirements are not based on science and has threatened unspecified countermeasures.
Chinese health authorities publish daily counts of new cases, serious cases and deaths, but these numbers include only officially confirmed cases and use a very narrow definition of COVID-19-related deaths.
Authorities say that because the government ended mandatory testing and allowed people with mild symptoms to be tested and recover at home, it can no longer provide a complete picture of the state of the latest sprout
Government spokesmen have said the situation is under control and reject accusations by the World Health Organization and others that it is not being transparent about the number of cases and deaths or not providing crucial information about the nature of the outbreak. current outbreak that could cause the emergence. of new variants.
Despite these claims, the Health Commission published regulations on Saturday for enhanced monitoring of viral mutations, including testing of urban wastewater. The lengthy rules called for increased data collection by hospitals and local government health departments and increased checks on “pneumonia of unknown cause”.
Criticism has largely focused on the harsh enforcement of regulations, including open-ended travel restrictions that saw people confined to their homes for weeks, sometimes sealed indoors without food or proper medical care.
Anger was also expressed over the requirement that anyone who may have tested positive or been in contact with such a person be locked up for observation in a field hospital, where overcrowding, poor nutrition and hygiene
The social and economic costs eventually led to rare street protests in Beijing and other cities, possibly influencing the Communist Party’s decision to quickly ease the stricter measures and reprioritize growth.
As part of the latest changes, China will also not bring criminal charges against people accused of violating border quarantine regulations, according to a notice issued Saturday by five government departments.
Those currently in custody will be released and confiscated property will be returned, according to the notice.
The Transport Ministry asked travelers on Friday to reduce travel and gatherings, especially for the elderly, pregnant women, young children and people with underlying conditions.
___
Associated Press reporters Alice Fung and Karmen Li in Hong Kong and Frank Jordans in Berlin contributed to this report.