Hong Kong's Lam Sees Popularity Plunge After Historic Protests

  • Approval of China-backed chief executive falls to record low
  • Support rating now as poor as predecessor who resigned
Carrie LamPhotographer: Justin Chin/Bloomberg
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Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam saw her approval rating plunge 9 percentage points in a month, as her bid to ease extraditions to China prompted hundreds of thousands of protesters to take to the streets.

The Beijing-backed chief executive saw her approval rating fall to a record low of 23% and her disapproval rise to 67%, according to a survey released Tuesday by the University of Hong Kong’s Public Opinion Programme. Support for the former British colony’s government fell to 18% -- the lowest since 2003 -- according to the poll of 1,015 residents conducted between June 17 and 20.