The government is planning to replace her with an “interim” chief executive.

People briefed on the deliberations told Financial Times that if Xi Jinping, China’s president, decided to go ahead, Lam’s successor would be installed by March and cover the remainder of her term, which ends in 2022. They would not necessarily stay on for a full five-year term afterwards.

Leading candidates to succeed Lam include Norman Chan, former head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Henry Tang, son of a textile magnate who has also served as the territory’s financial secretary and chief secretary for administration, the people told the newspaper.

Hong Kong has been witnessing protests since June over a controversial extradition bill.

The bill has now been suspended.

The anti-government rallies are still taking place in the city for the past few weeks as they have now evolved into a broader pro-democracy movement demanding democratic reform and an investigation into alleged police brutality.

Protests have also taken place at the Hong Kong International Airport and other tourist spots in the city.

The protests are a big challenge to Chinese President Xi Jinping who assumed power seven years ago.

The protesters say they are fighting to preserve the “one country, two systems” arrangement and a promise of freedom under which Hong Kong was returned to China as a specially administered region by the British in 1997.

The bill would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial if it would have been passed..