US has no right to interfere in HongKong: China
October 20, 2014, 5:32 am

Protestors are demanding China honour promises to hold fully democratic elections in 2017 [Ria Novosti]

Yang clarified China’s position on issues concerning Hong Kong during his talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry over the weekend.

Yang said China hopes that the US will be “discreet with its words and deeds” and refrain from supporting, in any form, such activities as “Occupying Central,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said on Sunday.

“We are resolutely opposed to all kinds of illegal activities that undermine Hong Kong’s rule of law and social order and firmly support the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government in handling these in accordance with the law so as to safeguard Hong Kong’s social stability,” Yang was quoted as saying.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said last week Britain should stand up for the rights of people in Hong Kong.

“It is important that democracy involves real choices. These are important freedoms, jointly guaranteed through that joint declaration and it’s that which, most of all, we should stand up for,” Cameron said.

The decision on the election of a chief executive for Hong Kong, a former British colony, by universal suffrage was made by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee in line with the Basic Law of the HKSAR, China’s top diplomat noted.

It adequately responded to opinions from all circles of Hong Kong society and complies with the region’s realities, and is thus conducive to safeguarding China’s national sovereignty, security and development interests as well as to Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, he said.

Talks between the government and student protest leaders are scheduled for Tuesday.

Protesters in Hong Kong clashed with the police over the weekend, with Saturday being the second turbulent night in Mong Kok following the Hong Kong police’s before-dawn operation on Friday. Most of the tents, canopies and barricades that had for 3 weeks blocked main roads in the commercial area in Kowloon were removed. Four people were arrested early on Sunday, police said.

Protestors occupying Nathan Road near the Argyle Street in Mong Kok, attempted to charge police cordon lines by pulling the mill barriers early Sunday.

China’s state run media said the police clarified in a statement that they “did not carry out a clear-up”, although they used “minimum force to disperse them in a bid to bring the situation under control after the warning was ignored”.

Thousands of protesters, mostly students, joined the Occupy Central movement on Sept. 28 to express their discontent with an electoral reform package for choosing the region’s next leader.

According to Hong Kong’s Basic Law and the top Chinese legislature’s decisions, more than 5 million Hong Kongers can choose the chief executive in 2017 through a “one man, one vote” election. The formula allows it wide-ranging autonomy and freedoms and specifies universal suffrage for Hong Kong as an eventual goal, which had never been realized under the British colonial rule.

TBP and Agencies