My Take | Carrie Lam deserves Beijing’s rebuke over Covid-19
- The raging fifth wave of the outbreak is proving, once again, that Hong Kong is high maintenance, perhaps too high for Beijing
The first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 helped put an end to the anti-government riots which Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and her government failed to control and completely mishandled. It’s one of those rare instances in history whereby a pestilence actually helped a political leader survive and resolve an existential crisis.
Now, the out-of-control fifth wave is threatening to end her political career. President Xi Jinping has given a strongly worded rebuke and warned her government to take “the main responsibility” for the current health crisis as it admitted defeat and went to the mainland for help.
Hong Kong officials were probably expecting words of encouragement. Instead, they got this:
“[Hong Kong] must earnestly take the main responsibility, and make it the overriding priority to stabilise and control the epidemic as soon as possible,” Xi was quoted as saying in Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po.
“Authorities must mobilise all forces and resources that can be mobilised, take all necessary measures and protect Hong Kong people’s lives and health, as well as ensure Hong Kong’s social stability.”
Does this mean the central government thinks the Lam administration has not committed all necessary resources and measures to protect people’s lives and ensure social stability?