Embattled Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has denied media reports that she toyed with the idea of resigning despite the existence of an audio recording in which she is heard saying she would resign if she had the choice.
In a press conference on Tuesday, she said that she had never offered any resignation letter to the Chinese government nor contemplated doing it.
She, however, did not speak on the authenticity of the audio recording, which was published by Reuters, in her rebuttal.
“I have never tendered resignation to the central people’s government. I have not even contemplated tendering resignation ... The choice of not resigning is my own choice," said Lam
“The reason being I believe I can lead my team to come out of this impasse," she added.
Carrie Lam continues to grapple with popular protests triggered by what pro-democracy say is the constriction of the democratic space in Hong Kong.
She finds herself trapped between a rock and a hard place, having to serve the interests of China and protesters, a balance that is proving trickier to strike.
The protesters have been demanding greater autonomy from China in protests that have plunged Hong Kong into a serious political crisis.
A number of the leaders of the protests were arrested in a bid to kill their momentum.