Hong Kong’s plan to offer free coronavirus tests to all residents has become swept up in the festering political debate dividing the city, where many remain deeply distrustful of both local leaders and China. | AP
The furor is the latest illustration of the polarisation in Hong Kong as Beijing clamps down on its critics after months of huge, often violent and ultimately unsuccessful pro-democracy protests last year.
New cases rose to more than 150 a day and the city went back into an economically painful semi-lockdown. Citing the spike in coronavirus infections, Chief Executive Carrie Lam — a pro-Beijing appointee — postponed local elections for a year. But it is far from clear whether Hong Kongers will register en masse given the government’s record-low approval ratings, especially after Beijing imposed a national security law on the city in late June to stamp out pro-democracy protests.
A major source of contention has been the involvement of three Chinese testing firms and doctors from the mainland. On Tuesday, Lam accused health experts who had criticized the mass testing plan were motivated by politics and anti-China sentiment.
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