Western media's dubious role in Hong Kong stands exposed: China Daily editorial

Media is a word that has come to mean bad journalism. What a visionary Graham Greene was.

For proof, just look at the Western media's dirty role in stirring up the storm over the now-suspended bill to amend the extradition law in Hong Kong.

The latest trick of the Western media is a "revelation" by Reuters that the special administrative region's chief executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, tendered her resignation to the central government but it was rejected.

Such news stories, if we can call them that, are intended to paint an ineffectual image of the Hong Kong leader and thereby undermine public confidence in her ability to restore law and order in the city.

Addressing the media before the Executive Council meeting on Tuesday, Lam not only made clear that she had neither submitted her resignation to the central government nor ever nurtured such a thought, but also emphasized that, even though it is a difficult task, she will stay on the job to put the house back in order, which would serve the best interests of Hong Kong and the country.

Difficult as the situation might be — given the well-orchestrated anti-government campaign coupled with foreign backing and interference on an unprecedented scale — the chief executive has been firm in her resolve to restore peace and stability, which are essential to the city's prosperity.

And she is not the only one determined to prevent the demonstrators from holding Hong Kong to ransom. The central government has all along fully supported her and her administration to restore order in the city, especially since foreign forces and Hong Kong separatists have used the issue to campaign against the SAR and central governments in a bid to seize the governing power of the city and undermine "one country, two systems".

At this crucial juncture, Hong Kong's top priority is to stop the violence. True, Hong Kong police have shown utmost professionalism and efficiency in subduing the violent demonstrators.

But, as the saying goes, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. All Hong Kong residents, whichever side of the political divide they are on, should therefore rally behind Lam so the SAR government can steer the city through the current unrest.

Lam has started building platforms for dialogues with different stakeholders in society. But the dialogues can be constructive and their outcomes enforceable only if the stakeholders respect the "one country, two systems" and keep the interests of Hong Kong and the country in mind.