Under its leader, Carrie Lam, Hong Kong changed forever

The chief executive struggled to manage the relationship with Beijing, stripping the city of many of its freedoms. Her tenure was marked by protests and a devastating COVID-19 outbreak.

Alexandra Stevenson and Tiffany May

Apr 7, 2022 – 8.00am

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Under the watch of Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s chief executive, huge, citywide protests deepened political divisions. A national security law silenced a once-vibrant civil society. And restrictive pandemic policies threatened Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s world city.

With each crisis, Lam tried to serve the will of Beijing, which controls the territory, and navigate competing pressures from residents and an international community leery of China’s growing authoritarian grip over Hong Kong.