Minutes after reports broke that China passed a sweeping national security law for Hong Kong, Carrie Lam stood in front of a backdrop of the city’s iconic skyline for a weekly press briefing.

With legions of reporters clamoring to hear details of the law that could reshape the financial hub’s future, it quickly became clear that Hong Kong’s leader had none. Lam, who previously acknowledged that she hadn’t seen the legislation, couldn’t even confirm that China had approved it before quickly ending the news conference and walking away from the podium.

The awkward scene underscored the extent to which Chinese President Xi Jinping sidelined Hong Kong’s leaders in shaping the city’s most important legislation since Beijing took control of the former British colony in 1997. When the details were finally unveiled to the world around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, it became clear why they kept it under wraps.