Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Resolution imminent in Hong Kong-Australia quarantine quarrel

Officials are set to tour the Jockey Club’s training facility in Conghua, one of the final stages to complete before horse movement between the two jurisdictions can resume.

The end is in sight of the tense quarantine stand-off between Hong Kong and Australia.

Australian authorities have requested to officially tour the Jockey Club’s Conghua training facility in mainland China, marking one of the final steps required to restore previous biosecurity regulations between the two jurisdictions.

The Post understands the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) has written to Chinese officials requesting to visit the site and are awaiting a response. It is likely any such visit would take around one week to complete.

DAWR had previously been awaiting a response to a series of questions from China to give insight into the biosecurity protocols around the facility before making a visit.

“DAWR has completed its desktop assessment of the information supplied in answer to its questionnaires and is now moving on to the next stage of the evaluation, which is to carry out the in-country visit,” Jockey Club executive director of racing Andrew Harding confirmed.

“Following the site visit to the Conghua Equine Disease Free Zone and Hong Kong, a report will be written up by the DAWR inspection team.

“The final stage is for the report to be shared and agreement reached on the health certificate.”

It was the construction of Conghua that brought the previous biosecurity agreements to a screeching halt in October 2017, with Australian authorities since requiring horses travelling from Hong Kong to spend 180 days in a third country out of fear horses may be carrying equine diseases from China.

The Jockey Club has gone to significant lengths to ensure the Conghua facility is a “bubble” of Hong Kong, meaning the same procedures take place at both Sha Tin and the mainland.

The request to tour the facility, should it be granted by China, is one of the biggest developments in the long-running saga which has made it very difficult for many horses to compete internationally.

While interim arrangements were agreed upon in March in time for Australian horses to compete at Champions Day this season, it still did not allow for Hong Kong horses to travel to Australia freely.

“This is a significant positive development,” Harding said.

“It comes on the back of the agreement reached in March this year on interim protocols that permit Australian runners that participate in races in Hong Kong to travel directly back to Australia.

“DAWR is continuing to give high priority to the issue and the end is in sight.”

While the request is a significant development, it is highly unlikely that previous regulations will be restored in time for Hong Kong trainer Caspar Fownes to take his horse Southern Legend to Australia for the lucrative spring carnival.

Fownes had previously expressed interest in taking his well-travelled six-year-old Down Under but will now likely be forced to look for other options.

Japanese mare Lys Gracieux is one of the latest casualties from the drama, with connections unable to travel to Melbourne to race in the Group One Cox Plate (2,040m) in October after racing in Hong Kong’s QE II Cup in April.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
×