Shanghai | China's president Xi Jinping has backed the Hong Kong government's handling of the city's six-month long political crisis, calling for a swift end to violence and unrest which he warns threatens the system designed to protect the territory's autonomy.

Mr Xi was quoted in state media warning "continuous radical violent activities in Hong Kong seriously trample rule of law and the social order, seriously disturb Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, and seriously challenge the'one country, two systems'".