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Lam says next US president should not interfere in Hong Kong

Lam says next US president should not interfere in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam attends a press conference held in Beijing, China on Friday, Nov 6, 2020. Lam received credit from a top Chinese official on Friday for restoring order and reviving the economy in the semi-autonomous territory. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

BEIJING: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday (Nov 6) that whoever wins the US presidential election should end US interference in the internal affairs of her city and China overall.

She accused the Trump administration of repeatedly interfering over the past year, citing US sanctions on officials including herself and the suspension of special trading conditions previously granted to Hong Kong.

“That is totally unreasonable,” she said at a news conference wrapping up a four-day visit to Beijing. “I hope that they will come back to normalcy and accept that the relationship has to be built on mutual respect and cooperation.”

The US took issue earlier this year with China's enactment of a national security law for Hong Kong which was designed in part to snuff out pro-democracy protests that rocked the city for months last year.

The Trump administration backed democracy activists who said that the law ended the “one country, two systems” framework under which Hong Kong is part of China but given a high degree of autonomy over local affairs.

Lam said the national security law has been an effective deterrent after pitched battles between demonstrators and police during protests last year. Some more radical protesters attacked businesses seen as pro-Beijing and set fires in the streets. They said the escalating tactics were necessary to get the attention of a government that was ignoring their demands.

“Hong Kong has recovered its stability and has not seen any large-scale violent incidents,” Lam said. “With this stable environment we can focus on economic development and improving people’s lives.”

READ: Lam says national security law will not undermine HK autonomy

Earlier on Friday, Lam met with a top Chinese Communist Party official who endorsed her rule, saying her government had restored order and revived the economy.

Vice Premier Han Zheng, one of seven members of the party’s top leadership body, praised her administration for implementing the national security law and protecting Hong Kong's stability, and for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, easing the economic burden on the population.

READ: In China, bemusement and scorn over unresolved US election

Under Lam, the government has “overcome all kinds of difficulties and dealt with the challenges,” he said.

It was a far cry from a year ago, when parts of the city were awash in tear gas and Lam's leadership and ability to return peace to her city seemed to be in question.

China responded by enacting the national security law, which curtailed protests that were already dwindling because of coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings.

READ: Hong Kong leader hails 'return to peace', anniversary protests banned

Lam was accompanied on her visit by several top city officials, which she said demonstrates the breadth of Hong Kong's integration into China's national development.

She was heading from Beijing to Guangdong, the southern province that borders Hong Kong, for economic talks on the Greater Bay Area, a region that also includes nearby Macau.

Source: AP/kv

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