Coronavirus: the Hongkongers whose livelihoods depend on being able to cross the border
- Chauffeur Peter Choi had been asked to drive his boss to a factory in Taishan, but he did not want to go
- Factory boss Jack Chan is stuck after authorities in mainland China stopped production
To go to mainland China, or not to go – that was the dilemma facing Peter Choi.
A chauffeur for his boss, who runs a factory in Taishan, the Hong Kong resident often drives his employer to the city in Guangdong province, where she and her husband operate a metal goods factory. He normally spends two days in Taishan for each cross-border trip.
On Tuesday, he was asked to drive the couple to mainland China on Friday, where they planned to stay for four days.
“My wife and my parents opposed the plan to go north,” he said. “I have a responsibility to care for the well-being of my family.”
Instead, he proposed taking his boss just across the border to Shenzhen where she would be picked up by a driver from the factory.
“I was prepared to quit if my boss did not accept my proposal,” he said. “Nothing is more important than your own life and health of your family.
“My boss understood my concerns and eventually decided to postpone her trip to Taishan.”
He said his boss would decide when to make the trip, depending on whether the spread of the virus was contained.
Another Hongkonger, Jack Chan, faces huge uncertainty over the immediate future of his metal and plastic hardware factory in Guangzhou.
On Tuesday, Guangdong authorities ordered all factories to delay resumption of production to February 10, a week later than originally scheduled.
He had planned to return to his factory on Saturday to prepare for business to resume, but has to postpone that trip.
“My staff told me shipping companies would resume operation on February 10, blocking my plan to ship out goods to overseas countries,” Chan said.
In mainland China, workers are not paid during the Lunar New Year holiday.
“It remains unclear if factories would be required to pay a portion of salaries to workers during the extra one-week holiday,” Chan said. “It would be a huge financial burden for factory owners.”
Chan faces another struggle when his factory does eventually reopen, and that will be how to get to Guangzhou.
High-speed trains to mainland China and through-train services between Hung Hom and Guangzhou have been suspended until further notice.
“I used to travel to and from Guangzhou on high-speed train,” he said. “The system for purchasing tickets enables the tracking of infected commuters. I don’t like cross-border buses because they lack that system.”
Meanwhile, Liu, a Hongkonger working in the banking industry who refused to give his full name, never expected his holiday to be so long.
Born in mainland China, Liu has been working in Hong Kong since 2006. After living in the city for more than a decade, he moved his home to Shenzhen and travels daily across the border for work on high-speed trains.
He returned home on January 23 for the Lunar New Year break and planned to be back in the office six days later, but now he must stay away until February 17, at the earliest.
“My parents from Wuhan came to visit my family in Shenzhen during the Lunar New Year holiday,” he said. “The mainland government asked us to stay at home for 14 days to ensure we are clean.
“My company also received a similar appeal from the Hong Kong government and asked me to be isolated for another 14 days once I return to Hong Kong.”
Liu has been looking for hotels in Hong Kong for his return, and said he would avoid those popular among travellers.
Although his company will cover the costs, the arrangement means he cannot return home to Shenzhen as he would be put under quarantine again if he crossed the border.
“Knowing about the history of the Sars [severe acute respiratory syndrome] outbreak back in 2003, I understand the need to be cautious,” he said. “It is the correct policy.
“The bright side is with advanced technology, I could still conveniently keep in touch with my family.”
