Hong Kong’s strengths as a global financial hub have not been undermined by months of pro-democracy protests, the Chinese-ruled city’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, said on Monday. Protests in Hong Kong escalated in June over a now-withdrawn bill which would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, where courts are controlled by the Communist Party. Speaking at the opening of a regional financial forum, Lam said the city’s financial system remained stable thanks to lessons learnt since the Asian financial crisis.