决策者 | 香港战胜疫情信心十足
Editor's note: Decision Makers is a global platform for decision makers to share their insights on events shaping today's world. John Leung is the director of the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
编者按：《决策者》是全球决策制定者分享对国际事务见解的平台。梁志仁是香港特别行政区政府驻北京办事处主任。本文仅为作者个人观点，不一定代表CGTN立场。
过去两年来，新冠疫情肆虐全球。截至2021年底，香港已成功抗击了四波疫情。香港经济尽管因疫情遭受沉重打击，在2020年萎缩了6.1%，但2021年出现了6.4%的显著反弹。然而，2021年12月第五波疫情暴发后，由于奥密克戎变种传染性极强，抗疫工作变得尤为艰巨。截止到2022年4月17日为止，此波疫情共造成全港740万人口中，超过119万人感染，其中8900多人死亡。
During the peak of this wave, the crisis had outgrown Hong Kong's existing anti-epidemic capacities. The central government has provided the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) with staunch and timely support in the battle against the virus. Such support came on all fronts, including, among others:
在此次疫情的高峰期，香港的现有抗疫能力已不足以应对危机。中央政府为香港特别行政区政府的抗疫工作提供了及时、坚定的支持。这种支持来自各个方面，其中包括：
First, with the central government's support, six community isolation facilities have been constructed and handed over to Hong Kong to enhance its capacity to handle the epidemic by providing 20,000 beds in total. Three more community isolation facilities being under construction will provide another 30,000 beds upon completion.
首先，在中央政府的帮助下，建成并交付6个社区隔离设施，共计提供20000张床位，用以提高香港的疫情处理能力。另外3个正在建设中的社区隔离设施，建成后还将可以提供30000张床位。
Second, several medical advisories and support teams from the Chinese mainland (including experts in epidemiology, critical care medicine and Chinese medicine etc.) arrived in Hong Kong in batches to provide advice on various aspects of tackling the epidemic and collaborate with Hong Kong's Hospital Authority to provide treatment for COVID-19 patients.
其次，多支来自内地的医疗顾问及支援队伍（成员包括流行病学、重症医学和中医等方面的专家）分批抵达香港，为抗疫工作提出了多方面的建议，并与香港医院管理局合作，为新冠肺炎患者提供治疗。
Last but not least, Hong Kong has been working closely with Guangdong and Shenzhen authorities to improve the arrangements of land transport, water transport and railway transport so as to ensure stable supplies of goods to Hong Kong.
此外，香港一直与广东省和深圳市各政府部门密切合作，不断完善公路、水路以及铁路运输安排，确保香港物资供应稳定。
The number of COVID-19 cases has shown a gradual downtrend after reaching its peak in early March. The daily case count dropped to under 1,000 on April 15. Against this background, and after considering the city's social and economic needs as well as balancing public health considerations, the HKSAR government announced adjustments to the current control measures. For example, local schools were allowed to resume classes on April 19. Staff, teachers and students will be required to take COVID-19 rapid antigen tests daily and can only go into the school if the test result is negative. The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination, a key public examination, will commence on April 22 as scheduled. Besides, the first-phase relaxation of social distancing measures will be rolled out on April 21 as planned. Among other things, restaurants' dine-in service hours will be extended to 10 p.m. and the maximum number of people per table will be increased from two to four. Sports arena, fitness centers, cinemas, beauty parlors, religious premises, etc. may re-open without exceeding 50 percent of the venue's capacity.
香港新型冠状病毒感染病例在3月初达到顶点后，呈现出逐渐下降的趋势。4月15日，每日新增已降至1000例以下。因此，在考虑到香港的社会、经济需求并平衡公共卫生因素后，特区政府宣布对现行管控措施做出调整。例如，从4月19日开始，香港当地的学校已恢复上课。教职员工和学生需每日进行快速抗原检测，并凭阴性检测结果方可进入校园。作为一项极其重要的公开考试，香港中学文凭考试将于4月22日如期举行。此外，放宽社交距离的第一阶段措施也将按计划于4月21日开始实施。另外，餐厅的营业时间将延长至晚10点，每张餐桌的最大就餐人数将从两人增加至四人。体育场馆、健身中心、电影院、美容院、宗教场所等也可重新开放，但接待人数不得超过其可容纳人数上限的50%。
CFP
The HKSAR government will continue our fight against the virus by implementing the strategy of reducing critical cases, deaths and infections. In particular, we have gone all out to boost the vaccination rates of the elderly and children to protect them from the virus. Hong Kong will spare no effort in the ongoing battle so as to formulate more targeted anti-epidemic measures in the future.
特区政府将继续采取减少重症、死亡和感染病例的战略来抗击疫情。特别是，我们始终全力以赴提高老年人和儿童的疫苗接种率，保护他们免受病毒感染。香港将继续不遗余力地投入抗疫工作，以制定更有针对性的抗疫措施。
Over the past two years or so, the HKSAR government has spent over HK$600 billion to fight the epidemic, stabilize the economy and maintain public confidence. It is a significant sum, equivalent to about 20 percent of GDP. The strategy is to put in an all-out effort to win the fight against the epidemic, while at the same time relieve the immediate pressure on the economy and set the stage for its post-epidemic revival.
过去两年多来，香港特区政府共投入了占香港GDP 20%的约6000多亿港元巨额资金用以抗击疫情、稳定经济并安定民心，为的是在全力以赴打赢疫情防控阻击战的同时，缓解迫在眉睫的经济压力，并为疫情后的经济复苏创造条件。
Supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which account for 98 percent of enterprises in Hong Kong and employ 45 percent of the private sector workforce, is the key to preserving the vitality and resilience of the economy, and more importantly employment. To this end, we have taken a multi-pronged approach. Specific measures rolled out earlier this year include alleviating operational costs by reducing taxes and fees; supporting cash flow by enhancing the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme and introducing a moratorium on rental enforcement; and preserving employment through a new round of the Employment Support Scheme. In addition, we are also disbursing electronic consumption vouchers with a total value of HK$10,000 per eligible person in phases to alleviate people's pressures under the epidemic.
中小型企业占全港企业总数的98%，其雇员占所有私营企业员工的45%。帮助这些企业是保持香港经济活力和韧性的关键，同时更为重要的是能够保障就业。为此，我们采取了多管齐下的措施。今年早些时候，政府推出了一系列具体措施，其中包括通过减少税费和其他费用来减轻企业的运营成本；通过加强“中小企业融资担保计划”的执行力度和暂缓追收租金来保证企业的现金流；并通过新一轮的“保就业”计划来保障就业。此外，政府还分阶段向符合领取条件的人士每人发放总价值为10000港元的电子消费券，以减轻市民在疫情下的生活压力。
From last year's experience, as long as the local epidemic is successfully controlled, the pent-up consumption and investment demand during the epidemic will regain momentum. With the central government's strong support and the community's concerted effort to fight the virus, we have every confidence we will win the battle soon, enabling Hong Kong's economy to get out of the gloom. Our real GDP is forecasted to grow by 2 percent to 3.5 percent in 2022. Yet, external uncertainties cannot be taken lightly. The recent conflicts in Ukraine have heightened global geopolitical risks and weighed on global growth momentum by elevating international energy and commodity prices and aggravating disruptions to transportation and supply chains. This may affect Hong Kong's economic performance in the near term.
从去年的经验来看，只要当地疫情能够得到有效控制，疫情期间被压抑的消费和投资需求就会重新得到释放。在中央政府的大力支持下，在社会各界的共同努力下，我们坚信香港一定会很快战胜疫情，重振经济。2022年，香港地区的实际国内生产总值增长幅度预计为2%到3.5%。然而，外部的不确定性也不能掉以轻心。近期，在乌克兰发生的冲突加剧了全球性地缘政治风险，造成国际能源和大宗商品价格上涨，以及加剧了全球运输和供应链的中断，抑制了全球经济增长势头。这可能会影响香港短期内的经济表现。
Looking beyond the short-term, the outlook for Hong Kong's economy remains positive. Hong Kong will continue to serve as a "super-connector" bridging Chinese mainland and global markets, a high-value-added services platform, international talent and capital pool, and an internationally preferred place of doing business. Under its 14th Five-Year Plan, China will continue to promote high-quality growth and deepen its economic reform and opening-up. Moreover, given Hong Kong's unique advantages under "One Country, Two Systems," we will continue to play an irreplaceable role as a gateway, springboard and intermediary in the cultural and economic exchanges between our country and the rest of the world. By doing so, we will scale new heights, opening up greater room for our economic development while contributing to national development at the same time.
从中长期来看，香港经济前景仍然向好。香港将继续作为连接中国内地和全球市场的 “超级纽带”、高附加值的服务平台、全球人才和资本储备库，以及备受各国青睐的商业投资地。根据“十四五”规划，中国将继续推进高质量增长并深化经济改革开放。鉴于香港在“一国两制”方针下的特殊优势，我们将继续在中外文化和经济交流中发挥好香港作为中国与世界各地间的门户、跳板和中介的独特作用。,这样，我们就能再创新高，在为我们经济发展开辟更大空间的同时，也为国家的发展贡献力量。
This year, Hong Kong celebrates the 25th anniversary of its return to the motherland. We will ride out the storm and are set to embrace the next 25 years and beyond.
今年是香港回归祖国25周年，我们定将安然度过这场疫情风暴，拥抱下一个25年和更远的未来。