FT: China plans to replace HK leader

Beijing is drawing up a plan to remove Hong Kong's beleaguered Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the Financial Times reported yesterday, after nearly five months of pro-democracy unrest.

The pro-Beijing leader has faced sustained criticism from protesters in the semi-autonomous city.

So far, the Chinese central government has given its support to her and the Hong Kong police, calling the demonstrators "rioters" and condemning the violence.

But according to the FT report, which quoted unnamed figures briefed on the deliberations, Beijing is drawing up a plan to replace her with an interim chief executive.

However, sources told the newspaper that the plan would be dependent on the situation in the city first stabilising so that the central government is not seen as giving in to violence.

Beijing rejected the report as "a political rumour with ulterior motives". Lam's office said it would not comment on speculation.

Hong Kong has been battered by 20 weeks of protests and with no political solution in sight, clashes have intensified each month.

If President Xi Jinping decides to go ahead with the plan to remove Lam, the report said her replacement would be installed by March. Lam's ouster may not be enough to allay the concerns of Hong Kong's protesters.

A leaked audio recording emerged in September of Lam saying she would quit if she had a choice -- although she later said she had not contemplated standing down.

Her resignation is not one of the protesters' five central demands, who are instead calling for measures including an investigation into police brutality, universal suffrage and the release without charge of arrested protesters.