Beijing: China on Tuesday reacted guardedly to Hong Kong's embattled pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam's declaration that the highly controversial plan to allow the extradition of Hongkongers to the mainland "is dead", saying it has "nothing more to add" to its endorsement of her June 15 announcement to suspend it.
The Chinese government has backed Lam's move on June 15 to suspend the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 following violent protests by lakhs of people.
After her plans to suspend the bill was rejected by protestors who continued to stage mass demonstrations, Lam on Tuesday announced that the widely-loathed move to allow extradition to the Chinese mainland "is dead" but again stopped short of protesters' demands to completely withdraw the bill.
"There are still lingering doubts about the government's sincerity or worries (about) whether the government will restart the process with the Legislative Council," she said in a press conference. "So I reiterate here, there is no such plan. The bill is dead," she said.
Asked how the Chinese central government views Lam's announcement, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters: "On June 15, after the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong decided to suspend the amendment, the Chinese government expressed its respect and understanding. I have nothing more to add for the time being".
-K J M Varma
