HONG KONG -- Secretary for Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government Tang Ping-keung said on Wednesday that from July to mid-October 2024, about 20,000 non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents were issued mainland travel permits.

The number of visitor arrivals/departures made using the document amounted to a total of 53,000, Tang said at the HKSAR's Legislative Council.

Since July 10, non-Chinese permanent residents of the HKSAR and Macao Special Administrative Region have been eligible to apply for special travel permits to enter the mainland.

Tang said that based on the HKSAR government's understanding, people from different sectors greatly welcomed the new measure, considering that it could substantially shorten the clearance time and fully satisfy their needs for visiting the mainland for business, academic and cultural exchanges, and traveling purposes.

Some of them also said that the measure had facilitated their greater participation in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Tang said.