VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

China said on Friday that cross border travel between the mainland, Hong Kong and Macau would fully resume from Feb. 6, dropping existing quotas and scrapping a mandatory COVID-19 test that was required before travelling.

Group tours between China and its two special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau would resume, while the number of customs checkpoints open will return to pre-pandemic levels, China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said in a statement on its website.

Even after China reopened its borders to the world on Jan. 8, a quota system and COVID testing requirement remained for travellers between the mainland and Hong Kong.

The three border checkpoints that have not yet reopened will do so from Feb. 6, Hong Kong's leader John Lee said at a press conference on Friday.

Hong Kong will also scrap a COVID vaccination requirement to enter Hong Kong for all arrivals, including non-Hong Kong residents, Lee added.

Searches on Chinese travel website Qunar for round trip air tickets to and from Hong Kong and the mainland increased seven-fold on Friday after China's announcement, data from state media China Transportation News showed.

China's announcement came a day after Hong Kong launched a promotion campaign including 500,000 free flights to lure back visitors, businesses and investors to the financial hub after more than three years of tough COVID curbs.

Hong Kong was largely sealed off behind closed borders for much of the past three years in a bid to ward off COVID, with mandatory quarantine of up to three weeks for people arriving as well as intensive testing and screening.

The former British colony closely followed China's zero-COVID policy until the middle of 2022 when it began to gradually unwind its rules.

Hong Kong dropped most of its remaining COVID rules in December, but mask-wearing remains mandatory unless exercising, and students must take daily rapid antigen tests. (Reuters)

Jakarta (voinews.id): Timor Leste is joining this year’s Asean Coodinating Council Meeting in Jakarta. Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi noted this as a historical momentum.

“The 32nd ACC is history, as we welcome Timor Leste to their participation in ASEAN meeting for the first time. I congratulated Minister Adaljiza Magno on this occasion,” Retno said to the press in Jakarta on Friday.

Retno said that one of the outcomes of the ACC meeting on Friday is the implementation guideline to grant ASEAN observer status for Timor Leste.

“We also adopted the revised Terms of Reference of the ACC's Working group on Timor Leste,” she added.

Following the landmark decision on 12 November 2022 by ASEAN to admit Timor Leste as its 11^th member, the ACC also tasked a working group to work on draft roadmap for Timor Leste full membership. (VOI/Yasmin)

Jakarta (voinews.id): Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi delivered Indonesia’s priorities and deliverables throughout the year of the country’s chairmanship in ASEAN. Retno summarized it into 3 pillars.

“The first pillar is on ASEAN matters, to remain relevant by maintaining its centrality and becoming an anchor of stability and regional prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” Retno said to the press at the Asean Secretariat Jakarta, Friday.

She added that Asean needs to be forward-looking and have a strong capacity to anticipate and address future challenges.

“Indonesia will propose initiatives to strengthen ASEAN readiness to address current and future challenges toward 2045. Including institutionalized dialogue on human rights, and enhanced cooperation to prevent and combat trafficking in person,” Retno said.

The second pillar is on epicentrum of growth, by strengthening Asean health architecture, food security, supply chains, and facilitation of trade.

“And ensuring energy security to support the transition from fossil energy to clean and renewable energy, and strengthening financial stability to protect our economy against future external shock,” the minister said.

The third pillar is the implementation of the ASEAN outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). Indonesia will push for the follow-up on mainstreaming the four priority areas of AOIP.

Indonesia will also convene several flagship events under the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Forum, namely Youth Dialogue on Digital Development for SDG in April; The Creative Economy Forum in August; and Infrastructure Forum and ASEAN Business and Investment Summit that will be held back-to-back with the 43rd Ascend Summit in September. (VOI/Yasmin)

Jakarta (voinews.id): Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi receives the foreign ministers of ASEAN countries for the Asean Ministerial Meeting at the Asean Secretariat, Jakarta, on Friday. The First Minister that arrived was Foreign Minister of Singapore, followed by Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Thailand, then the ASEC Secretary General, Timor Leste, Lao DPR, the Philippinnes, and Viet Nam.

This year, Indonesia is hosting the 32nd ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) Meeting and ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ (AMM) Retreat in Jakarta from 3-4 February 2023 at the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC) Jakarta. (VOI/Yasmin)