HK chief’s adviser sees talks key to easing row

Bloomberg

The unrest in Hong Kong should start letting up after three months of protests as Chief Executive Carrie Lam makes a concerted effort to address the concerns raised by the demonstrators, her top adviser said.
The city’s leader plans to hold a dialogue with Hong Kong citizens and will also address the underlying issues raised by the protesters — from the lack of affordable housing to rising income disparity —during an annual policy speech next month, said Bernard Chan, convener of Hong Kong’s Executive Council.
“That may help dissipate protesters,” Chan said in an interview in Los Angeles on the sidelines of an investment conference. “There will always be smaller groups of protesters who will take more time. I’m hoping in the coming months, there’s a positive response in the government about some of these long-standing social issues.”
The former British colony has been rocked since June by near-daily and sometimes violent protests that were sparked by a bill that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China. Lam has since scrapped the measure, but protesters have said that’s not enough and that the movement will continue until all five of their demands are met. The political paralysis and unrest has already taken a toll on the economy and investors have raised concerns of a capital flight, with the benchmark Hang Seng Index closing the week among the world’s worst performers.