Editorial | Steps to make Hong Kong-mainland China travel more efficient are welcome
Recent measures underline Beijing’s awareness of the need to ease entry and exit restrictions which could hold back the pace of integration
Travel convenience is fundamental to Hong Kong’s integration with the mainland. The need to further enhance travel has become more important under an intensifying drive to accelerate the pace of development within the Greater Bay Area.
Thanks to the advances in technology in recent years, visitors can breeze through immigration by simply showing their face to a reading machine. Those who have experienced the hassle-free arrangement would appreciate the efficiency, especially when they are caught in a slow queue in front of a manually operated counter.
As part of the 10 new measures announced by the National Immigration Administration, the scope of the multi-entry visa scheme for mainland professionals visiting Hong Kong and Macau has also been extended, from Beijing, Shanghai and mainland cities within the Greater Bay Area to the Yangtze River Delta, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and all mainland pilot free trade zones. The visa covers professionals in scientific research, cultural and educational, healthcare and medical, and legal sectors and enables a maximum stay of 30 days within a period of one to five years, compared to the standard seven-day limit for other types of exit endorsements.