Lam promotes Hong Kong in Davos as protests persist

Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam tried to convince the world’s leaders that the city she is in charge of is open for business.
“Because after seven months of unrest, what has proven to be resilient is Hong Kong’s institutions and governance”, Lam said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where she has arrived with a team of top officials.
She also expressed her disappointment by ratings agency Moody’s decision to downgrade the city’s credit rating by one level: “I am even more disappointed by their assessment of the Hong Kong situation, and their comment on the weak institutions and governance”, she said.
Hong Kong has been in crisis for months. Protests in the city began when people took to the streets to reject a bill that would have facilitated extradition to China. They are often followed by brutal crackdown by security forces. The bill has since been withdrawn, but pro-democracy demonstrations have continued.
“We are resilient. We are stable and investors still have confidence in us. The rule of law is sound in Hong Kong”, one of Hong Kong’s officials told the media.
Last month, China’s president Xi Jinping expressed his “firm support” for both Lam and the Hong Kong government. The country’s ruling Communist Party also replaced Wang Zhimin, its official in charge of relations with Hong Kong. Analysts criticised the move, which is seen as Beijing’s attempt to take more direct control of the city’s policy.