Hong Kong (AFP)

The head of the Hong Kong Executive Carrie Lam on Wednesday announced the final withdrawal of her extradition bill, which resulted in three months of unprecedented protest in the former British colony.

This decision, which is a rare step back from the pro-Beijing government, may, however, not be enough to satisfy protesters who have over the summer expanded their demands, to denounce the erosion of freedoms and the growing interference of China in the affairs of its semi-autonomous region.

"The government will officially withdraw the bill in order to completely quell the concerns of the population," Lam said in a video broadcast by her services.

Since the beginning of June, the former British colony has been through its most serious political crisis since its return to Beijing in 1997, with almost daily actions, including frightful demonstrations, which sometimes degenerated into serious violence.

The withdrawal of the extradition bill - which protesters feared would put the city at the mercy of politicized Chinese justice - is one of the movement's five key demands.

The idea that Ms. Lam could announce the final abandonment of the text, whose review was suspended after the first protests, was announced early this afternoon by several media in Hong Kong, then confirmed by a member who had met the head of the executive.

- "Not enough, too late" -

This information, and the hope of appeasement in the crisis that is shaking the great financial center that is Hong Kong, have caused the local stock market to jump, which closed on an increase of nearly 3.90%, while she had yielded more than 10% since June.

But it is not sure that this concession is enough to appease protesters who demand a lot more.

"Not enough, too late," said Joshua Wong, who in 2014 was the face of the "Umbrella Movement" and was briefly arrested last week as part of a crackdown on prominent figures in the mobilization current.

"We also call on the world to beware of this tactic and not be deceived by Hong Kong and the Chinese government, they have not conceded anything, and a large-scale crackdown is on the way."

Furious comments immediately appeared on the various forums used by the pro-democracy movement, stressing in particular that a withdrawal of the bill did not end the protests.

"More than 1,000 people were arrested, countless wounded," said a message widely broadcast on the Telegram messaging application, adding: "Five major requirements, not one less.Helie HK, the revolution now ".

Demonstrators are demanding the introduction of universal suffrage and the opening of an independent investigation into the use of force by the police.

- Beijing calm the game -

Meanwhile, stocks have risen sharply on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on the hope of an improvement in the situation in the former British colony, whose economy begins to feel the effects of the crisis, which are added to those of the Sino-American trade war.

One of the big winners of the session was the title of the Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific, called to order in August by Beijing because of the support given by some employees to the mobilization.

Its action soared by 7.21%, while at the same time its president John Slosar announced his resignation.

For its part, Beijing had appeared Tuesday to calm the game. The spokesman of the Hong Kong Office of Business and Macao, Yang Guang, had assured that the inhabitants of the island "including young students", had the right to demonstrate "peacefully".

Ms. Lam is currently angry at the protesters because of the coldness she has shown over the past three months.

And Tuesday, at a press conference, she said she had no intention of resigning after the leak of an audio recording that gave the impression of a contrary will.

In the latter, she said she wanted to leave his post and have a margin of maneuver "very limited" to resolve the crisis.

© 2019 AFP