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Editorial | John Lee must keep up the momentum in challenging times for Hong Kong

  • Pat on the back from state leaders is to be expected, but Hong Kong’s chief executive still has work to do to bolster the city as borders slowly reopen

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Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John Lee on a duty visit to Beijing on Friday. Photo: Xinhua

There is, of course, no probation for the job of Hong Kong’s chief executive. But as far as Beijing is concerned, John Lee Ka-chiu seems to have passed the test for the top post with flying colours. Like his predecessors, he was also highly commended by state leaders during his first duty visit to the capital.

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While the approval of his performance over the past half year is to be expected, there is still much more to be done.

From controlling the pandemic and reopening the border with the mainland to relaunching the city on the international stage and improving people’s livelihoods, the new chapter promised by the new leader has only just begun.

About this time last year, the city was preparing for the border reopening following a long battle over the fourth wave of the coronavirus outbreak. This year, the unsettling circumstances have made the chief executive’s job more difficult.

The fallout of the most deadly fifth wave that came shortly after Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s duty visit is still being felt; and daily infections have hit a nine-month high of more than 20,000.

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Demand for Covid tests, medications in mainland China empties shelves in Hong Kong, Thailand

Demand for Covid tests, medications in mainland China empties shelves in Hong Kong, Thailand

This has inevitably brought more uncertainties and challenges over the much-anticipated reopening of the border with the mainland. The approval by Beijing to ease travel restrictions no later than mid-January is to be welcomed. A government working group is also sorting out the logistics. Hopefully, it will pave the way for more good news to come.

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