China urges the United States to cease all forms of interference in Hong Kong, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday.
Earlier, the U.S. Department of State in a published statement expressed serious concern about the escalation of clashes in Hong Kong, urging the government and protesters to stop the violence and start a dialogue. The US Department of State reiterated the position of Hong Kong that Hong Kong’s autonomy, its commitment to the rule of law and the protection of civil liberties are “the key to maintaining its special status”, – as well as to the success of the “one country, two systems” model and the future stability and prosperity of Hong Kong.
“The Hong Kong issue is entirely an internal affair of China, no foreign government, organization or individual has the right to intervene in this. We urge the United States and Great Britain to respect the sovereignty of China, to speak and act cautiously with regard to Hong Kong and to cease all forms interventions in Hong Kong and China’s internal affairs”, – said Geng Shuang at a briefing.
He emphasized that ending violence and restoring public order was a priority for Hong Kong at the moment.
“The central government of Hong Kong expresses strong support for the legitimate actions of the Hong Kong government, supports the Hong Kong police in enforcing the law, protecting public order and the safety of city residents”, – added Geng Shuang.
Chaos reigned on many streets of Hong Kong on Monday, with police using pepper and tear gas, rubber bullets and batons to disperse protesters several times in different areas. The demonstrators, in turn, blocked a number of roads, threw Molotov cocktails, bricks, and heavy objects at the police. Due to protests and traffic collapse due to blocked roads and closed metro stations, some universities canceled classes. During the clashes, law enforcement officers on Monday used firearms in three areas of the city, resulting in one person being injured.