Carrie Lam

Hong Kong’s once all-powerful tycoons have been increasingly vocal about subservience to Beijing

In other news, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam appeared to acknowledge frustration with the city’s strict Covid-19 policies.

"They are pragmatic, they are practica. Hong Kong people will grumble a lot, but most people will still go and queue up."

It is a way to force the Hong Kong government to contemplate -- if not a complete lockdown -- some localised lockdown.

Despite challenges faced, Hong Kong is more than likely to remain one of the world’s pre-eminent hearts of commerce.

Hong Kong’s leader said she’s having trouble using her credit cards after the US imposed sanctions targeting Chinese officials and their allies in the city.

Lam was sanctioned because she is “directly responsible for implementing Beijing’s policies of suppression of freedom and democratic processes,” the US Treasury Department said.

The measures were the result of a three-way tug of war between considerations related to public health, economic impact and social acceptability, says Chief Executive Carrie Lam

Hong Kong’s leader acknowledged that she still hasn’t seen a full draft of China’s pending national security legislation, even though the measure could be handed down in a matter of days.

Hong Kong told the United States to keep out of the internal debate over new national security laws being imposed by China, and warned that withdrawal of the financial hub’s special status under US law could backfire on the US economy.