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Hong Kong leader denies Beijing won’t let her resign

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday she has never asked the Chinese government to let her resign to end the city’s political crisis, responding to a Reuters report about a voice recording of her saying she would step down if she could.

Lam told a news conference that Beijing believed her government could solve the three-month long crisis without mainland China’s intervention.

Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets since mid-June in protests at a now-suspended extradition bill which would see people sent to mainland China for trial in Communist Party controlled courts.

The unrest has morphed into a broader call for Chinese-ruled Hong Kong to be granted greater autonomy by Beijing, which has accused foreign powers, particularly the United States and Britain, of fomenting the unrest.

Lam told business leaders last week that she had caused “unforgivable havoc” by introducing the extradition bill and that if she had a choice in the matter then she would apologise and resign, according to a leaked audio recording.

 

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