Report says Beijing set to replace Carrie Lam as Hong Kong leader
The Chinese government is drawing up plans to replace Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam by March.
The proposal, which is awaiting Xi’s sign-off, follows criticism of the "interim" chief executive and her handling of the violent protests against her administration, the Financial Times reported citing people who had been briefed on the deliberations.
If the plans went ahead, her successor would fulfill the remainder of Carrie’s term, which was set to end in 2022.
Leading candidates to succeed her included Norman Chan, former head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Henry Tang, son of a textile magnate who had previously served as the territory’s financial secretary and chief secretary for administration.
News of the potential change at the top of the Hong Kong executive came as the protests entered their fifth month, with protesters having vowed to continue until the territory’s chief executive and legislators were chosen through democratic elections.
For their part, Chinese officials first wanted to see the situation stabilise before taking a final decision on whether to replace Lam.
According to the FT's sources, Chinese authorities did not want to be seen giving into the violence.