Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed a “high degree of trust” in Hong Kong’s unpopular leader Carrie Lam as the two met after months of increasingly violent protests in the semi-autonomous city.

Xi’s show of support follows speculation that Beijing was preparing to remove Lam as city authorities struggle to contain pro-democracy demonstrations that have rocked the financial hub.

Their meeting in Shanghai on Monday followed another weekend of violence in Hong Kong that was marked by a knife attack and the vandalising of an office of China’s official Xinhua news agency.

Xi said Lam has “done a lot of hard work” and strived to stabilise the situation in Hong Kong, according to a Xinhua readout of their meeting.

“Xi voiced the central government’s high degree of trust in Lam and full acknowledgement of the work of her and her governance team,” the state news agency said.

Xi also called for “effective efforts” to be made in improving people’s lives and having dialogue with all sectors of society.

Willy Lam, a Hong Kong-based expert on Chinese politics, said Beijing is showing support for the city’s chief executive “for the time being”.