Hong Kong (CNN) The Chinese government has dismissed reports that it is planning to replace Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam with a temporary leader.

The report, first published by the Financial Times on Wednesday, follows more than four months of increasingly violent anti-government, pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, sparked by a controversial extradition bill that Lam's government tried to introduce in June.

Speaking at her daily briefing Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the reports were a "political rumor (being spread with) ulterior motives."

"The central government will firmly support and assist the chief executive and the SAR (Special Administrative Region) government in governing Hong Kong in accordance with law, and in stopping violence and chaos as soon as possible," she said.

The Financial Times reported that Beijing was drafting up plans to name an "interim" replacement by March to hold the post until the end of Lam's official term in 2022. Two candidates to replace Lam were reportedly Norman Chan, former head of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Henry Chan, a former Hong Kong chief secretary.

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