All rights reserved. Theyre willing to give up leisure travel for public health., But pandemic fatigue has long set in, and theres no telling when the governments bet on China will pay off. When borders reopen to tourists, countries that ran large surpluses on their tourism accounts pre-Covid -- Thailand and New Zealand among others -- stand to gain the most, writes Asia Chief economist Chang Shu. Hong Kong may prove to be a bellwether. The moves come as the U.S. has seen its COVID-19 outlook improve dramatically in recent weeks since the summer delta surge that pushed hospitals to the brink in many locations. Still, Zhong said China will not automatically reopen its borders upon reaching the 80%85% vaccination threshold, since case rates in other countries will also weigh on its plans. This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline "Turning inward", Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents, Under Xi Jinping, he has had little chance to shine, But Chinas leaders are treading carefully for now, The countrys government is organised in a way that could help, Published since September 1843 to take part in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress.. China may reopen Hong Kong border in early December Number of visitors would initially be limited to a few hundred per day, Hong Kong newspaper reports. Photo: AP. Our vaccination rate has not reached 80%85% yet.. Your browser does not support the