How Asia sees Carrie Lam’s withdrawal of Hong Kong extradition bill: ‘It’s welcome, but …’
- Protesters in Hong Kong may have been scathing about the chief executive’s attempt to appease the public; regional leaders have been a little more supportive
- But most welcomes have been both cautious and qualified
Initial hopes for a breakthrough following the climbdown by the city’s embattled chief executive, announced on Wednesday, were tempered when protesters derided it as like putting a “Band-Aid on rotting flesh” and vowed to continue demonstrating until she gives into the rest of their five demands. Their four remaining conditions are: withdrawing the characterisation of the protests as “riots”; amnesty for all protesters; an independent investigation into the police’s use of force; and universal suffrage.
But if protesters locally are largely displeased with Lam’s announcement – on Thursday she was even moved to hold a press conference to emphasise the decision was her own and not that of Beijing – some of her counterparts have given her announcement a cautious – but qualified – welcome.
In Australia, foreign affairs minister Marise Payne welcomed Lam’s announcement as a positive step in dealing with the concerns of protesters.
“We encourage any efforts to resolve the situation in Hong Kong peacefully,” she told local press on Thursday. “We continue to urge further efforts to de-escalate, establish dialogue and commit to negotiation as a basis for a lasting resolution.”
