Macau urges China to reopen borders

Delegation of Macau lawmakers set to request the reopening of borders at the National People’s Congress.

Macau.- Macau lawmakers have urged the Chinese central government resume normal cross-border operations between the SAR, Hong Kong and Guangdong Province.

The deputies will officially make the request at the National People’s Congress (NPC) where among other topics delegates will be discussing proposals to fuel the SAR’s economic recovery post Covid-19.

The delegation believes Macau and Guangdong Province have the pandemic under control, and that Beijing should support and coordinate the local governments to expedite the restoration of cross-border operations between the two regions.

“Macau’s economy is greatly impacted by the global pandemic,” Macau Chief Executive, Ho Iat Seng, said in an interview with China News Service.

“Macau is a low-risk region and our active cases have recently reached zero. We have resumed our school classes and businesses, so we hope more mainlanders and foreigners will soon be able to visit Macau.”

The city’s economy is highly dependent on visitation but visitor numbers have been in free fall since the pandemic with the road to recovery set to be long.