Hong Kong leader to announce withdrawal of controversial extradition bill-media

HONG KONG: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will announce on Wednesday the formal withdrawal of an extradition bill that triggered months of unrest and has thrown the Chinese-controlled city into its worst crisis in decades, Cable TV and other media said.

The protests in the former British colony began in June over the bill, which would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, but have since evolved into a push for greater democracy.

PHOTO: Reuters

It was not immediately clear if the announcement, which the South China Morning Post newspaper said was due later on Wednesday, would help end the unrest.

The chief executive's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index jumped after the report, trading up about 3.3 per cent. The property index also jumped 6 per cent.

PHOTO: Reuters

The withdrawal of the draft legislation was one of the protesters' key demands.

Lam has said before that the bill was "dead" but she did not withdraw it.

Hong Kong returned to China under a "one country, two systems" formula that allows it to keep freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, like the freedom to protest and an independent legal system, hence the anger at the extradition bill and perceived creeping influenced by Beijing.

Lam told business leaders last week that she had caused "unforgivable havoc" by introducing the bill and that if she had a choice she would apologise and resign, according to a leaked audio recording.

PHOTO: Reuters

At the closed-door meeting, Lam told the group that she now has "very limited" room to resolve the crisis because the unrest has become a national security and sovereignty issue for China amid rising tensions with the United States.

China has denounced the protests and warned about the impact on Hong Kong's economy.

China denies it is meddling in Hong Kong's affairs but warned again on Tuesday that it would not sit idly by if the unrest threatened Chinese security and sovereignty.