China Summons Hong Kong Officials to Shenzhen to Discuss Unrest

(Bloomberg) -- China’s top agencies in charge of Hong Kong affairs held a special meeting across the border in Shenzhen to discuss unrest in the financial hub that’s become a wider challenge to Beijing and raised questions about whether it should intervene more directly.

The seminar was jointly held by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council and China’s liaison office in the city. It came hours after Hong Kong police again fired tear gas at hundreds of demonstrators who besieged a police station Tuesday night following the arrest of a student leader, after days of protest and clashes between protesters and police further roiled the city.

“The central government is highly concerned about Hong Kong’s situation, and trying to study, make decisions and arrangements from a strategic and across-the-board level,” Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, said in opening remarks. “Hong Kong is facing the most serious situation since its return to China, therefore today’s seminar is very important.”

He said there were some “500 friends from Hong Kong” in attendance and that he hoped they could speak frankly. Hong Kong delegates to both the National People’s Congress -- China’s rubber stamp parliament -- and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a top advisory body, were asked to attend, Radio Television Hong Kong reported.

Pro-establishment Hong Kong lawmaker Michael Tien said he would use the meeting to press Chinese officials to tell local leader Carrie Lam to withdraw the extradition bill that first sparked protests and order an independent inquiry into the affair, RTHK said. Tien said those had emerged as the top two demands in talks he held with protesters Monday.

Zhang’s office held a rare briefing Tuesday, issuing some of the Chinese government’s strongest comments yet on the unrest that has gripped Hong Kong for nine weeks. They agency doubled down on support for Lam, saying opposition efforts to force her resignation would fail.

China has addressed journalists twice since protests erupted, as fears grow in Hong Kong that it might send in the military to restore order -- something authorities say isn’t necessary.

Thousands of black-shirted protesters rallied Monday in various locations across Hong Kong, chanting “strike!” and blocking subway doors from closing, disrupting its busy morning commute. Police fired hundreds of rounds of tear gas at crowds in areas across the city after demonstrators blocked roads and held up traffic.

In the evening, the situation descended into mob violence, as unidentified white-shirted men descended on protesters in North Point, attacking them with sticks.

To contact the reporters on this story: Stephen Tan in Hong Kong at ztan39@bloomberg.net;Sheryl Tian Tong Lee in Hong Kong at slee1905@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Karen Leigh

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