> Carrie Lam initiated the crisis on her own without instructions from Beijing.

Lam's own leaked statements say otherwise [1].

[1] https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3025579...

I find nothing in your source contradicting the article.

You say Carrie Lam isn't fronting the CCP and executing their policy, but she says her options are "very, very, very limited":

> “But, of course, I’m sure in your hearts you will feel, and I’m sure a large number of people feel that I do have a solution, that is a political one. But I have to tell you that this is where the crux of the matter lies."

> “Once an issue has been elevated to the situation [name redacted], to a national level, to a sort of sovereignty and security level, let alone in the midst of this sort of unprecedented tension between the two big economies in the world.

> “The room, the political room for the Chief Executive who, unfortunately, has to serve two masters by constitution, that is the central people’s government and the people of Hong Kong, that political room for manoeuvering is very, very, very limited."

Assuming she was being honest (no reason not to, given this was a private meeting behind closed doors), if she has no political power of her own, how is she not executing CCP policy?

She initiated the extradition bill, presumably with approval from Beijing, in response to a high-profile murder case that she thought would make it pass easily. I don't see how the comments you quote here contradict that.

Also, I would take what Carrie Lam says here (and anywhere) with a grain of salt.

>You say Carrie Lam isn't fronting the CCP and executing their policy,

I don't say anything. I refer to the specifics mentioned in the article.