Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Saturday announced the indefinite suspension of a controversial extradition bill, marking a major climbdown in response to escalating political turmoil following mass protests earlier this week.

Beijing-backed Lam said at a press conference that she had "no intention" to set a deadline on the postponement, emphasizing the importance of more communication between supporters and protesters against the bill, which would allow the transfer of fugitives to mainland China.

Hong Kong lawmakers had been scheduled to vote on the legislation next Thursday.

"The government has decided to suspend the legislative amendment exercise, restart our communication with all sectors of society, do more explanation work and listen to different views of society," Lam said.

"The council will halt its work in relation to the bill until our work in communication, explanation and listening to opinions is completed. We have no intention to set a deadline for this work," she said at the press conference, which lasted over one hour.

Opponents of the bill say that if it is passed, Chinese authorities could abuse it to crack down on pro-democracy activists, journalists and anyone critical of the Communist Party-controlled government.

Lam, meanwhile, expressed unwillingness to withdraw the bill altogether, but added that she expects it will be "impossible" for the legislation to be passed by the end of this year given the schedule of the Legislative Council.

On Wednesday, violent clashes broke out between police and people protesting the law amendment, which many fear could extend Chinese influence and erode liberties in the territory.

Around 80 people were injured, including nearly two dozen police officers. The police were later criticized for firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protestors.

The scene was reminiscent of the 2014 Umbrella Movement in which protesters occupied Hong Kong's major thoroughfares in a bid to force Beijing to abandon its plan to preselect candidates for the territory's leadership elections.

Lam said she feels "deep sorrow and regret" that the latest political confrontation led to physical injuries and upheaval in society but declined to apologize.

Local media reported that Lam met with Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng, who is in charge of Hong Kong affairs, to talk about how to tackle the recent confusion before she made Saturday's announcement.

When asked about the meeting at the press conference, she said she was unable to answer the question.

Sixty-one hours had been allocated for lawmakers to discuss the bill. However, as debate that was supposed to start from Wednesday this week was suspended, it was increasingly unlikely they would be able to finish scrutinizing it before the scheduled vote.

Although the Chinese government, led by the Communist Party, had previously voiced strong support for the legislation, there are signs it now favors postponement of the vote. It is possible that Beijing is concerned that the Hong Kong issue will be raised at the Group of 20 summit in Osaka at the end of this month.

The Chinese government said in a statement that it "supports" Lam's decision, adding that the suspension of the bill is aimed at swiftly regaining "composure in society," according to the nation's official Xinhua News Agency.

But the news agency also reported in a separate article that the meetings about the bill were "postponed due to riots" around the complex of the Legislative Council.

Last Sunday, more than 1 million people, by some estimates, turned out for one of the largest mass protests seen since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Hong Kong has established extradition agreements with some 20 countries since the 1997 handover.

The proposed amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance would allow the return of those accused of crimes to jurisdictions with which it has no extradition deal, such as mainland China and Taiwan.

The bill has also sparked concerns among foreign countries, including Britain and the United States, that their citizens living in or visiting Hong Kong would be put at risk of extradition.

A protest organizer said another demonstration planned for Sunday will go ahead.


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