Hong Kong leader Lam does not rule out Beijing help, as economy suffers

[webfact]

Hong Kong leader Lam does not rule out Beijing help, as economy suffers

By Clare Jim and Noah Sin

 

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a news conference in Hong Kong, China, October 8, 2019. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Hong Kong's embattled leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday did not rule out asking Beijing for help, as the Asian financial hub struggles to deal with months of often violent anti-government protests that are damaging its economy.

 

Lam said Beijing wanted Hong Kong to solve its own problems, but under its mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law, Hong Kong could ask Beijing for help.

 

"If the situation becomes so bad, then no options could be ruled out, if we want Hong Kong to at least have another chance," Lam said at weekly news conference after a long weekend of violence crippled the city.

 

"But at this moment, I and my team, we are still very committed in making sure we can use our own instruments ... to try and restore calm and order in Hong Kong," she said, adding there were no plans to expand emergency laws introduced on Friday. "But I would appeal (to) everyone in society to join hands to achieve this objective."

 

The protests, which show no sign of abating, pose the biggest popular challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012 and are Hong Kong's thorniest political crisis since Britain returned it to China in 1997.

 

Lam said protests were severely damaging the economy.

 

"Hong Kong's various sectors will enter a severe winter season," she said.

 

Tens of thousands of protesters, many families with children, took to the streets of Hong Kong over the weekend wearing face masks in defiance of colonial-era emergency laws invoked on Friday which ban masks at public rallies. Protesters use masks to shield their identities.

 

But the rallies, which started out peaceful, spiralled into some of the most violent clashes since protests started four months ago, forcing the unprecedented shutdown of the city's metro after stations were torched.

 

YOUNG DEMONSTRATORS ARRESTED

Police said on Tuesday 77 people had been arrested for violating the anti-mask law, including a 12-year-old.

 

Since September nearly 40% of those arrested in protests were under 18 and 10% under 15, said Lam, adding young people should not be involved in political activity.

 

Two teenagers have been shot and wounded in skirmishes with police and scores of people and police have been injured.

 

Authorities have described protesters as "militant activists", but many Hong Kong residents are also angry at the emergency powers, fearing their civil rights could be eroded.

 

On Tuesday, hundreds of school and university students attended class wearing masks in protest at the emergency law.

 

Since Friday, more than 200 shops and public utilities had been damaged and police fired 367 tear gas rounds, said a police spokesman.

 

"Rioters' level of violence has been escalating, without showing any sign of abating from week to week, and has reached a very critical level," said Kwok Yam-yung, a regional police commander.

 

"Such ruthless and reckless acts are pushing the rule of law to the brink of total collapse," he told a news conference.

 

Sunday also saw the first interaction between protesters and Chinese troops stationed in the territory. Protesters targeted a military barracks with lasers prompting troops to hoist a banner warning they could be arrested. Senior People's Liberation Army officers have said violence will not be tolerated.

 

'CHALLENGE TO STABILITY'

What started as opposition to a now-withdrawn extradition bill has grown into a pro-democracy movement against what is seen as Beijing's tightening grip on the city, which protesters say undermines a "one country, two systems" formula promised when Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule.

 

China dismisses such accusations, saying foreign governments, including Britain and the United States, have fanned anti-China sentiment.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday anything bad happening in Hong Kong would be bad for U.S.-China trade talks.

 

The protests have threatened to entangle global businesses that have alluded to the turmoil in publicity material, including U.S. luxury jewellery retailer Tiffany & Co and sports brand Vans.

 

Chinese state television said it would not air NBA exhibition games played in the country this week after a tweet by a Houston Rockets executive backing the protests.

 

"In our opinion, any speech that challenges national sovereignty and social stability, should not be regarded as a freedom of expression," CCTV said.

 

China's Oct. 1 National Day holiday week is normally a time when Hong Kong is flooded with visitors, but many shops were closed and tourist numbers plummeted 50%, said Lam, warning the city's third quarter economic data would "surely be very bad".

 

The territory is facing its first recession in a decade.

 

Hong Kong's metro, which normally carries some 5 million people daily, was only partially operating on Tuesday. Scores of shops were closed and many bank cash machines were vandalised.

 

Lam appealed to property developers and landlords to offer relief to retailers whose businesses had been hit.

 

The last British governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten has warned someone could be killed if Lam does not engage in dialogue and has joined protesters in calling for an independent inquiry into accusations of excessive force by police.

 

But the city government has rejected accusations of excessive force.

 

"I believed if the same thing in Hong Kong happened in other countries, they would not respond to those things in any lighter measures than we do," said Lam.

 

(Reporting by Farah Masters, Noah Sin, John Ruwitch, Clare Jim, Donny Kwok and Sharon Tam; Writing by Michael Perry; Editing by Paul Tait, Robert Birsel and Alex Richardson)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-10-09

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[keith101]

If she asks Beijing for help the most likely result would be hundreds if not thousands of deaths and injuries to the people of Hong Kong and doubtful she would survive it herself .

[gk10002000]

Hong Kong not prospering?  No surprise there.  China mainland is just grabbing grabbing and grabbing.  No regard for other nations or international relations

[Bluespunk]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Hong Kong leader Lam does not rule out Beijing help, as economy suffers

Like she has any say in the matter...

[tonbridgebrit]

53 minutes ago, gk10002000 said:

Hong Kong not prospering?  No surprise there.  China mainland is just grabbing grabbing and grabbing.  No regard for other nations or international relations

???
What ? Can you please read the article. From the article "Since Friday, more than 200 shops and public utilities had been damaged and police fired 367 tear gas rounds, said a police spokesman."  So, in the last few days alone, a lot of shops and public buildings have been damaged. The rioters are also vandalizing Hong Kong's MTR, that's Hong Kong's underground transport system.

Hong Kong's economy is being hit by the riots/demonstrations/disturbances. Especially the riots. Hong Kong needs tourism, Hong Kong needs outside visitors, for it's economy. Is Hong Kong more reliant than Thailand on tourists and visitors ? I'm not sure about that.

News footage about the riots in Hong Kong is creating a situation where foreigners/outsiders are less likely to turn up in Hong Kong. This is harming Hong Kong's economy. Who on earth wants to go to Hong Kong for a holiday ? The hotels in Hong Kong are sufferring.


And you want to claim that China is grabbing and grabbing ?   ????
The mainland Chinese visitors turning up in Hong Kong have reduced their numbers. That's not surprising is it ? This is what's damaging Hong Kong's economy.

Edited October 9, 2019 by tonbridgebrit

[tonbridgebrit]

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/worlds-luxury-brands-count-costs-145358834.html

Okay, from the above article Reuters. By the way, the article from the OP is also from Reuters.
"Global luxury brands from Prada to Cartier are counting the cost to their businesses of four months of unrest in Hong Kong that has kept tourists away and forced shops to shut, with upcoming results set to reveal the damage."

And "data on Wednesday showed retail sales had fallen 23% in August from a year earlier - the biggest decline on record - while the value of sales of jewellery, watches and other valuable items decreased by 47.4% "


And also "Visitor arrivals dropped 39%, with the number of mainland tourists to Hong Kong falling 42.3%. "


So, bascally, Hong Kong's economy is being hurt. Note that retail sales have fallen 23% in August from a year earlier. So, August 2019 saw a 23% drop from August 2018. And all this is happening because the riots/demonstrations are hurting the economy. Yes, visitor arrivals have dropped considerably. Mainland tourists have dropped even more so. Are the riots going to continue ? As long as the present disturbances continue, yes, Hong Kong's economy will continue to be hit.
When are the riots going to stop ?

Edited October 9, 2019 by tonbridgebrit

[Just1Voice]

Help from the mainland would mean one hell of a lot of dead bodies in the streets of HK. 

 

[Burma Bill]

She has only herself to blame for trying to introduce the controversial Deportation Bill in the first place!! Good riddance Carrie.

[tonbridgebrit]

4 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

Help from the mainland would mean one hell of a lot of dead bodies in the streets of HK. 

 

7 hours ago, keith101 said:

If she asks Beijing for help the most likely result would be hundreds if not thousands of deaths and injuries to the people of Hong Kong and doubtful she would survive it herself .

And indeed, nobody wants to see dead bodies on the streets of Hong Kong. Beijing has not sent soldiers to remove the rioters, let's hope Beijing will continue to NOT send soldiers. Yes, it will be disastrous if Beijing sends in soldiers, disastrous for Hong Kong and China. Beijing has not taken the bait, let's hope Beijing will continue to not take the bait.

So what does this mean ? How long will the rioters continue to set fire to buildings ? How long will the disturbances continue ? Remember, from the Reuters article I myself put up, and from the Reuters article from the OP, Hong Kong's economy is being damaged by these disturbances. The drop in the number of foreign tourists and visitors entering Hong Kong in August 2019 (the numbers compared to August 2018) was considerable. It's very likely that the numbers for September 2019 will be just as bad.

How long is Hong Kong going to suffer this economic downturn ? The continuation of the riots will prolong this economic slowdown/disaster. If peaceful demonstrations continue, if the demonstrations do not block traffic, if the demonstrations don't have any negative impact on the economy, then fine, Hong Kong's economy has recover and prosper.

Let's hope that the bulk of Hong Kong's people see sense, let's hope that the bulk of Hong Kong's people will condemn the rioters, condemn the burning of buildings. Let's hope that the riots will end. And hope that the riots end without Beijing sending soldiers. Hong Kong people burning Hong Kong and destroying Hong Kong's economy is not a sensible thing to do.

 

[tonbridgebrit]

6 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

She has only herself to blame for trying to introduce the controversial Deportation Bill in the first place!! Good riddance Carrie.

And if Carrie Lam does go, what difference will it make ? Carrie Lam herself will probably not be too upset if they give her early retirement and a 'golden' pension. She might even turn up in Britain and see out her retirement here.

The extradition bill has already been shelved or whatever. The demonstrations have changed, they are about Hong Kong becoming democratic and/or independent. There's no way that Beijing will grant this. Is it sensible for people in Hong Kong to continue burning buildings in Hong Kong because Beijing won't grant democracy and/or freedom ? Surely, it's not sensible ?

[Clarendene King]

HK , Iraq , Myanmar ⁉️????????????”he/she who forgets the past is blind in one eye ! H/she who forgets the past is blind in both ????‼️” AND WONT BE ABLE TO PLAY NBA BASKETBALL ???? ANYWHERES LET ALONE IN CHINA ?????????!⁉️????????????????????????‍♀️GF Youth are Angry ????⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️

[Traubert]

33 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

She has only herself to blame for trying to introduce the controversial Deportation Bill in the first place!! Good riddance Carrie.

You would agree that HKers who commit murder in Taiwan and Macao walk free as in the case that sparked this bill? To me these protesters are advocating just that.

So let any HK policeman who kills a protestor walk free too. See how that goes down.

[maxpower]

34 minutes ago, Traubert said:

You would agree that HKers who commit murder in Taiwan and Macao walk free as in the case that sparked this bill? To me these protesters are advocating just that.

So let any HK policeman who kills a protestor walk free too. See how that goes down.

Hong Kong people have no problem with extradition treaties they can trust. Anyone who has had recent close contact with mainland China will understand the concerns.