Hong Kong is facing its worst crisis since it returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, a senior Beijing official said today, as the city braced for more pro-democracy protests.
Zhang Xiaoming, the head of China’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs office, claimed that “violent activities” among demonstrators were intensifying and that the impact of the protests on society was “spreading wider”.
Speaking in Shenzhen, the city which links Hong Kong to the mainland, he said: “Hong Kong’s crisis … has continued for 60 days, and is getting worse and worse.
“It can be said that Hong Kong is now facing the most severe situation since its handover.”
His comments came a day after China issued its strongest warning yet to demonstrators that their attempts “to play with fire will only backfire”.
For months the financial hub has been rocked by protests sparked by opposition to a proposed law that would have allowed extradition of suspects to China.
Hong Kong lawyers dressed in black were set to march in silence today to call on the government to safeguard the independence of the city’s justice department.
