Beijing stands by Hong Kong’s leader after more protests

Beijing on Monday reiterated its support for Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam as protests continue in the semi-autonomous territory, Reuters reported.

“The central government firmly supports Carrie Lam leading the Hong Kong government’s administration according to law, firmly supports the Hong Kong police strictly enforcing rule of law,” said Yang Guang, a spokesman for the Chinese government’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.

{mosads}“We especially appreciate and empathize with Hong Kong police forces and their families for the huge pressure they are bearing,” he added.

Protests have roiled Hong Kong for nearly two months over a proposed bill that would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to China. The bill has sparked concerns among locals who fear mainland China’s broadening influence in Hong Kong and see the bill as a threat to their freedoms.

The city was guaranteed a legal system independent of Beijing when it was transferred from British rule under a “one country, two systems” order.

Lam suspended the controversial bill last month after hundreds of thousands of demonstrators flooded the city, but that was not enough to quell protests.

Several protests have broken out into confrontations between different groups and have involved police.