It is not just foreign leaders such as Donald Trump and Emmanuel Macron who are awed by their personal meetings with Xi Jinping. A tête-à-tête with the Chinese President earlier this month seems to have stiffened the spine of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, as she intensifies the crackdown on the months-long pro-democracy protests that have shaken the city to its core.

Blind to the government’s role in driving the dangerous spiral of escalating violence, she dubbed the diverse range of Hong Kongers who support the protests “enemies of the people”. And she vowed never to give in to their “so-called political demands”.