Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks during a session at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 22, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Wednesday that the government was about to announce the formation of an independent committee to study the situation in the city, which has been rocked by seven months of protests.

Lam said during the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos that Chinese President Xi Jinping was committed to Hong Kong’s special status.

She also appealed to what she called “violent protesters” not to destroy Hong Kong and said that nothing was more important to the city than the rule of law.