Advertisement

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam lashes out at Western powers for ‘double standards, hypocrisy and lies’

  • Carrie Lam singles out Britain for criticism in magazine interview, saying it was ‘greatest lie’ to claim China had breached Sino-British Joint Declaration
  • Chief executive also rejects accusations police used excessive force during the 2019 anti-government protests

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
99+
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam. Photo: Sam Tsang

Hong Kong’s leader has hit back at what she called unfair accusations by Western powers against the city, summing up foreign critics’ comments as “double standards, hypocrisy and lies”.

Advertisement
In a combative mood, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor also rejected accusations that police used excessive force during the 2019 anti-government protests. She singled out Britain for criticism, saying it was “the greatest lie” to claim China had breached the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, which paved the way for the city’s handover in 1997.

“Having been the chief executive for almost four years, especially in the past two years, I have first-hand experience of how overseas governments and politicians have exploited Hong Kong to achieve their agenda,” she said in an interview with state-run magazine Outlook Weekly.

Lam said she had come to the conclusion the words “double standards, hypocrisy and lies” could be used to describe their actions.

01:37

Hong Kong announces more electoral system changes to block opposition

Hong Kong announces more electoral system changes to block opposition
She also defended Beijing’s decision in March to overhaul Hong Kong’s electoral system to ensure only “patriots” governed the city.
Advertisement
Advertisement