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Hong Kong has biggest population decline ever

Hong Kong has seen its sharpest annual decline in population, with experts blaming a decline in strict Covid-19 control measures and a political crackdown that has dulled a financial hub long heralded as “Asia’s world city”.

The city’s total population dropped from 7.41 million people to 7.29 million, down 1.6%, the Bureau of Census and Statistics said Thursday.

That’s the steepest decline since the government started tracking the numbers in 1961.

While officials attribute some of this to a “natural” decline — more deaths than births — experts said the numbers also reflect an exodus that has accelerated in recent years amid periods of massive social unrest that have included anti-government protests and coronavirus pandemic.

About 113,200 residents left Hong Kong last year, the department said, compared with 89,200 a year earlier. The numbers include expatriates and other non-permanent residents.

During the pandemic, experts and industry leaders have warned that the city’s heavy Covid-19 restrictions would alienate residents, travelers and expats.

Even as the rest of the world opened up, Hong Kong continued to close borders for months, suspending air routes and imposing mandatory quarantines and social distancing measures such as limits on public gatherings and restaurant services.

Mask mandates remain in place, while public spaces such as beaches and gyms have faced lengthy closures during periods of high caseloads.

The measures have devastated business, with some of Hong Kong’s most famous venues – including the Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant – closing in the past year.

“More than two and a half years of Covid-19 restrictions are taking a heavy toll on businesses and the economy,” the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce said in a statement this month.

House CEO George Leung added that the closure of Hong Kong’s borders is “choking any prospect of economic recovery” and urged officials to come up with a “concrete timetable for reopening the region”.

The government conceded the impact of its policies, saying on Thursday that flight restrictions — such as requiring all arrivals to be vaccinated, testing negative for Covid and paying for quarantine at a hotel on arrival — had “interrupted the flow of population.” .

This week, the government relaxed the quarantine requirement, reducing the number of days arrivals must stay at a designated hotel from seven to three.

The government said some Hong Kongers may have chosen to settle elsewhere during the pandemic.

“Meanwhile, Hong Kong residents who left the region prior to the pandemic may have chosen to reside elsewhere temporarily or were unable to return to the city. All of these (factors) may have contributed to the departure of residents,” a government spokesperson said.

But the government played down the population slump and seemed to suggest that Hong Kong was still a bustling financial hub.

“As an international city, Hong Kong’s population has always been mobile,” said a spokesperson. “During the last 10 years, departures of Hong Kong residents have been recorded for most years.”

The spokesperson added that the issue of Covid-19-motivated departures “could be resolved when quarantine and social distancing measures are relaxed”, and that the numbers would increase due to government efforts to attract foreign talent.

political repression

Experts say another factor behind the exodus is Beijing’s political crackdown on the city.

Following the 2019 Hong Kong pro-democracy and anti-government protests, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law, under which the government virtually eliminated formal opposition.

Authorities raided and shut down newsrooms, arrested activists and protesters, ousted elected lawmakers, increased censorship both online and in print, and changed school curricula.

Since the law was introduced, many former protesters and lawmakers have fled abroad, fearing prosecution. Many individuals and families told the CNN who are also considering leaving because they feel the city has been transformed beyond recognition.

After the protests, several countries, including the UK, Australia and Canada, opened new visa lanes for Hong Kongers wishing to leave.

Many former protesters and activists also fled to the autonomous democratic island of Taiwan.

The government has repeatedly defended the security law as the restoration of law and order in the city, claiming that Hong Kong’s freedoms of speech, press and assembly remain intact.

The security law “quickly and effectively restored stability and security,” the government said on July 29, adding that residents “are relieved and happy to see that Hong Kong now remains an open, safe, vibrant and vibrant metropolis.” business friendly. ”

Source: CNN Brasil

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