Hong Kong protests: Carrie Lam suggests 'one country, two systems' could continue beyond 2047 in appeal to protesters
Hong Kong's leader has said that the "one country, two systems" framework under which the city enjoys freedoms unknown in China could continue after the 2047 deadline if loyalty to Beijing is upheld.
Carrie Lam's appeared to be appealing to those in the city who fear that the Chinese government is tightening its grip over the semi-autonomous territory's civic, economic and political life.
Hong Kong has been wracked by often violent anti-government protests since June, although they have recently diminished in scale.
The city was handed over from British to Chinese rule in 1997 with a promise that it would maintain its own capitalist economy and Western-style institutions for 50 years.
"Only if we insist on implementing the 'one country, two systems' principle and practice it continuously and fully ... then I think there will be enough grounds for 'one country, two systems' to move ahead smoothly and there would be no change after 2047," Lam told the Legislative Council.
"We have to uphold the principle of 'one country'. Only by doing this can 'one country, two systems' be moving forward smoothly."
Protests began last June over an extradition proposal that would have sent suspects to face trial in China, where Chinese Communist Party control of the courts leads to a 99.9 per cent conviction rate.
The demonstrations grew into a movement aimed at curbing Communist influence in Hong Kong, which has long enjoyed freedoms not granted to the mainland.
