Hong Kong leader aims to reopen border with China next month

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s leader says China has agreed to a reopening of the city’s border with the mainland, which has been largely closed by pandemic restrictions. Chief Executive John Lee told reporters at the Hong Kong airport on Saturday that the two sides would develop a plan to reopen the border in a gradual and orderly manner. He says he’s aiming for a mid-January start. He returned from a trip to Beijing where he met President Xi Jinping and other officials. The announcement came as China is easing a “zero-COVID” policy that has restricted entry to the country, isolated infected people and locked down areas with outbreaks.