Chief Executive Carrie Lam vows to do better job connecting with Hong Kong’s young people, as city leaders close ranks over anti-government protest crisis
- Chief executive tells young people, ‘We hope that we can fight together to build a better Hong Kong’
- Separately, city’s representative to China’s top legislative body accuses protesters of trying to provoke Beijing
Hong Kong’s leader on Sunday promised to do a better job connecting with the city’s young people, many of whom have joined the heated anti-government protests that have gripped the city for more than two months.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, speaking at the closing ceremony of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) training camp for university students, stressed that her administration placed great value on its dialogue and engagement with local youth.
“My colleagues and I will be more patient to get in touch with youth from different classes to listen to their voices,” she said in Mandarin. “We hope that we can fight together to build a better Hong Kong.”
Lam’s olive branch came as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in several districts – including Sham Shui Po, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Tsim Sha Tsui – to protest against the government’s handling of a now-abandoned extradition bill and the turmoil that followed.
Lam also warned that Hong Kong was facing internal and external threats, and said the city faced a huge threat of an economic downturn.
