Coronavirus: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam does not deny telling Beijing outbreak could help politically
- Chief executive reportedly also told the central government that members of her cabinet were ‘unsatisfactory’
- She insists her outbreak-related decisions are based on scientific advice
Hong Kong’s leader on Tuesday did not deny reports that she sent a letter to Beijing complaining about her “unsatisfactory” cabinet and saying the coronavirus outbreak could be spun to the government’s advantage.
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said it was an established policy not to comment or respond to speculation about internal communication between the Hong Kong and central governments.
“This time is no exception. I will not be providing any response on that,” she said.
Last month, Chinese-language newspaper Apple Daily reported that Lam had submitted a report to Beijing in which she criticised pro-establishment allies while expressing hope that the epidemic could provide an opportunity to turn the political atmosphere around before September’s Legislative Council elections.
According to the newspaper report, she wrote that the performance of the pro-establishment camp was “disappointing” as they had not stood with the government but joined the criticism of its performance during the public health crisis. She added that members of her Executive Council were “unsatisfactory”, according to the story, describing herself as “facing enemies on all sides”.
