Don’t be fixated on ‘0+0’, Hong Kong leader John Lee says

Hong Kong’s leader has urged the city not to be fixated on a “0+0” Covid-19 arrangement which would end all restrictions for travellers, while reassuring the public he will lift more pandemic curbs even as caseloads rise in mainland China.

“Everyone has a different understanding of ‘0+0’. Therefore, I am not going to describe whether we are in [a stage] of ‘zero-plus-what’,” Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Tuesday, referring to demands to lift the three-day medical surveillance mandate for all inbound travellers, under the current ‘0+3’ policy.

Lee was addressing a question in his weekly press briefing on whether authorities would give up pursuing the lifting of all travel restrictions, with a reporter citing an article by pro-Beijing heavyweight politician Lo Man-tuen, who said Hong Kong could not declare “0+0” because of the mainland’s pandemic policy.

In an opinion piece in Ming Pao published on Tuesday, Lo, vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, wrote: “This is to take into account the perception of the mainland, in a bid to [allow the city] to better integrate with the mainland’s entry arrangements and facilitate more Hongkongers to enter the mainland.”

Lo added Hong Kong’s “0+3” arrangement, implemented in September to end hotel quarantine, provided “an important reference” for the mainland, and contributed to Beijing’s recent round of major Covid-19 relaxations after the Communist Party’s Congress.

Lee, speaking ahead of the weekly meeting with the Executive Council, his key decision-making body, said authorities would formulate “targeted measures” for coming mega events and tour groups.