International Shia News Agency

China warns against foreign meddling in Hong Kong protests

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong remained camped out in the centre of the global financial hub on Monday.

SHAFAQNA- China has warned against any foreign meddling in the recent protests in Hong Kong, saying the ongoing pro-democracy rallies in the city are “illegal”.

Organizers of the protests have said that as many as 80,000 people have thronged the streets in the city since Friday.

The rallies have reportedly received support from some foreign countries including the United States and Britain.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, “Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong. Hong Kong is purely our internal affair.”

“We are resolutely opposed to any foreign country using any method to interfere in China’s internal affairs,” she added.

Riot police withdrew on Monday, after overnight clashes with protesters in which police forces used batons and lobbed tear gas canisters.

Also on Monday, shares fell and Hong Kong’s dollar dropped to a six-month low while some schools, businesses, and banks closed down as a result of the protests.

The unrest was triggered after China refused to allow open nominations for the city’s next chief executive in 2017, forcing the voters to choose from a list of two or three candidates selected by a nominating committee.

Activists insisted that the region’s citizens must be able to elect the chief executive. They believe the decision raises fears that candidates will be screened for loyalty to Beijing.

China has said it will introduce universal suffrage for the city’s 2017 election, but wants a committee to approve the candidates.

Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. The financial hub has enjoyed substantial political autonomy since 1997, when its leadership returned to China after about a century of British colonial rule.

 

Source: Press TV

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