Beijing would lift travel restrictions for more mainland residents to boost Hong Kong's economy, media reports said Saturday.

Residents in seven or eight cities in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian would be allowed to travel to Hong Kong as individuals by the latter half of this year, the China Daily reported.

The newspaper quoted Gao Siren, director of the Central Government's liaison office in Hong Kong, who was speaking in Beijing on Friday.

Only residents of cities neighboring Guangdong Province, Beijing and Shanghai can travel to Hong Kong as individual tourists. The rest must obtain a business visa or travel in tour groups.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2004)