Tokyo | Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will step down in July after announcing she will not run for a second term in office as her administration comes under growing criticism for its handling of the city’s latest COVID-19 outbreak.

Ms Lam, who will have served five years as the city’s Beijing-appointed leader by the time she steps down, told her cabinet on Monday morning that she would not put herself up as a candidate to become the next chief executive. The nomination period for new candidates opened on Sunday.