The Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Donald Tsang, pointed out in his policy address on the 15th that convenient and efficient immigration services are of utmost importance. Hong Kong has now implemented visa waiver or visa on arrival arrangements with more than 130 countries or regions.
According to the information from the Hong Kong SAR Government website, Tsang stated that as a tourism and financial business center in the Asia-Pacific region, Hong Kong must continue to attract people from all over the world to visit and conduct business. Additionally, Hong Kong residents frequently travel to the mainland and overseas for tourism and business. Last year, the flow of people entering and exiting Hong Kong continued to rise, approaching 220 million. Therefore, convenient and efficient immigration services are of utmost importance. Hong Kong has now implemented visa waiver or visa on arrival arrangements with more than 130 countries or regions.
Tsang mentioned that the Hong Kong government is about to reach an agreement with the Macao Special Administrative Region, expecting to further simplify the immigration procedures for residents traveling between Hong Kong and Macao by mid-next year. As for measures to facilitate the entry of residents from Taiwan, I have just mentioned them. Furthermore, we hope to soon sign a visa waiver agreement with Russia. This will be the first such agreement signed by Russia with a developed economic system, which will positively promote trade and tourism between the two regions.
