Hong Kong’s leader has expressed hope the city will soon reap the rewards of favourable measures he has sought from the central government, with Beijing lauding his latest policy blueprint as a sign of his determination to implement reforms.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu voiced optimism on Thursday when asked whether a “one-trip-per-week” visa scheme for Hong Kong would be expanded to cover visitors from more mainland Chinese cities beyond Shenzhen to boost consumption amid a sluggish economic environment.
Lee told lawmakers he fully realised that some Hong Kong industries were facing challenges and Beijing would take time to comprehensively assess any possible policy changes.
“When we communicate with central authorities to ask for policies, we hope to be pragmatic and that we can also walk the talk,” he said at a question and answer session about his latest policy blueprint.
Lee said cities that were the most closely connected to Hong Kong in terms of transport and interactions were potential candidates to be added to the “one-trip-per-week” scheme.
