China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is to reopen its border with the mainland by mid-January, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said on Saturday after returning from Beijing.

"The central government has agreed to the full reopening of the border in a gradual and orderly manner," he told reporters at the airport upon arrival, adding that a coordination group was established to communicate with mainland authorities on the issue.

And a proposal will be presented for the central government's approval, "intending to be implemented before mid-January", he said.

(Cover: People enter the Chinese mainland from Hong Kong via the Shenzhen Bay Port, China, January 6, 2022. /CFP)