HONG KONG: China’s President Xi Jinping warned Thursday that protests in Hong Kong threaten the “one country, two systems” principle governing the semi-autonomous city that has tipped into worsening violence with two dead in a week.
Hong Kong has been ruled by a unique system guaranteeing greater freedoms than on the mainland since its handover from British rule to China in 1997.
But protests, which began against a now-shelved extradition bill to China, have spiralled into wider calls for democracy and police accountability as violence and demonstrations roil the city, challenging Beijing’s authority.
For a fourth straight day on Thursday, protesters caused widespread disruption with barricades and rallies, as the police drafted in reinforcements and the government denied rumours of an imminent curfew.
The five-month crisis has entered a new phase in recent days with hardcore protesters embarking on a campaign to “blossom everywhere” across the city in a bid to stretch police resources.
The protests, fuelled by fears that the territory’s China-backed government is encroaching on the city’s freedoms, are backlit by fears China may send in its troops to squash the movement.
In rare comments on the violence, Xi repeated Beijing’s unwavering support for the Hong Kong government and police, warning recent actions by protesters have “seriously challenged the baseline principle of ‘one country, two systems’.”
Speaking at a summit in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, he said “stopping violence and controlling chaos while restoring order is currently Hong Kong’s most urgent task,” in comments reported across Chinese media.
Hong Kong has been bitterly divided by the increasing protests and violence.
On Thursday, key arterial roads were blocked, many train services suspended and schools closed, while lunchtime rallies took place in the business district as protesters occupied universities. With the protesters showing no signs of relenting, the nearly 30,000-strong city police force announced it was drafting in 100 prison guards and looking for other reinforcements. Insisting it will not compromise or buckle to the pressure, China has responded with warnings it is prepared to further curb freedoms, and that it wants tougher security measures in Hong Kong.
But protesters have repeatedly shown they won’t be intimidated.- AFP