Hong Kong Leader Carrie Lam To Formally Withdraw Extradition Bill After Months Of Protests: Reports

After months of protests, Hong Kong is expected to withdraw China extradition bill on Wednesday, as Beijing bows to protesters.

Hong Kong's embattled leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday said she hoped "calm" will prevail after a massive weekend march passed without clashes between police and demonstrators, but again refused to give ground to protester demands.

New Delhi: After months of protests, Hong Kong is expected to withdraw China extradition bill on Wednesday, as Beijing bows to protesters. Hing Kong leader Carrie Lam is expected to formally withdraw the extradition bill which led to protests spanning several months and which shoved the region in its biggest political crisis, media reports said. As per a report in the South China Morning Post , Lam was likely to meet pro-establishment lawmakers at 4pm local time, before making a formal announcement about the withdrawal of the bill. Later, Reuters also said that lam was expected to withdraw the bill and cited a government source. Hong Kong stocks ended 3.90% higher, on extradition bill hopes, reported news agency AFP. Anti-government anger sparked by the now-shelved extradition bill, which would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to jurisdictions including mainland China, has fuelled protests in Hong Kong since June. Demonstrations have run for 13 consecutive weekends, and 1,117 protesters had been arrested. Demonstrators have five main demands for Lam, including formally withdrawing the bill, establishing a commission of inquiry to investigate police conduct and and restarting the city's stalled political reform process. The total number of arrests related to the ongoing civil movement, which has plunged Hong Kong into its worst political crisis in decades, now sits at 1,117.