Hong Kong’s embattled leader Carrie Lam says it is ‘almost impossible’ to drop controversial extradition bill
- Beijing’s liaison office in the city urges public not to heed rumours spread by the opposition
- In the legislature, two sides again fail to break deadlock after short meeting
Hong Kong’s leader made it clear on Thursday she would not shelve her controversial extradition bill under pressure, insisting it was her call and Beijing was not making it mandatory by wading into the political row that has gripped the city.
Instead, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor urged opposition lawmakers to stop obstructing the bill, which would allow the transfer of fugitives from Hong Kong to jurisdictions with which the city has no extradition deal, including mainland China.
Beijing’s representatives in Hong Kong have come out in open support of the bill and started working alongside Lam’s government to mobilise and rally pro-establishment politicians to their side.
The central government’s liaison office in the city earlier urged the public not to heed rumours spread by the bill’s detractors, while Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Zhang Xiaoming called for rational debate as he met a local delegation on Wednesday.
Eight lawmakers, four each from the Legislative Council’s rival pan-democratic and pro-establishment camps, met for less than 20 minutes on Thursday morning and failed to end the deadlock over getting started on formally scrutinising the bill.