Hong Kong protesters put one country, two systems at risk: Xi

China’s President Xi Jinping has warned that protests in Hong Kong threaten the one country, two systems principle.

A protester welds metal fences to set up barricades at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University late on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

China’s President Xi Jinping has warned that protests in Hong Kong threaten the one country, two systems principle governing the semi-autonomous city that has tipped into worsening violence with two dead in a week.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam on Friday condemned a “barbaric attack” on Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng, who fell while being surrounded by a crowd of jeering pro-democracy protesters in London.

Ms Cheng — whose department is in charge of prosecuting protesters who have filled city streets for months — is the first senior Hong Kong official to be ­injured in scuffles as a result of the unrest that began in June.

Ms Lam called on police in Britain — Hong Kong’s former colonial ruler — to investigate, describing the incident as an ­“attack” which “was barbaric and violated the principles of a civilised society”.

Hong Kong has been ruled by a unique system guaranteeing greater freedoms than on the mainland since its handover to China in 1997. But protests, which began against a now-shelved extradition bill to China, have spiralled into wider calls for democracy and police accountability as violence and demonstrations roil the city, challenging Beijing’s authority.

In rare comments on the violence, Mr Xi repeated Beijing’s unwavering support for the Hong Kong government and police, warning recent actions by protesters have “seriously challenged the baseline principle of one country, two systems”.

Speaking at a summit in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, he said “stopping violence and controlling chaos while restoring order is currently Hong Kong’s most ­urgent task”, in comments reported across Chinese state media.

For a fifth straight day on Friday, protesters caused widespread disruption with barricades and rallies.

Overstretched police have drafted in reinforcements, while the administration has denied ­rumours of an imminent curfew.

The five-month crisis has ­entered a new phase in recent days with hardcore protesters embarking on a campaign to “blossom everywhere” across the city in a bid to stretch police resources.

Xi Jinping is welcomed to Brasilia by President Jair Bolsonaro. Picture: AP

The protests, fuelled by fears that the territory’s China-backed government is encroaching on the city’s freedoms, are backlit by fears China may send in its troops to squash the movement.

Hong Kong has been bitterly divided by the increasing protests and violence.

Late on Thursday, the Prince of Wales Hospital said a 70-year-old man died a day after he was hit by brick during clash between pro- and anti-government protesters.

It was not immediately clear who threw the brick in an incident that was filmed and widely shared on social media.

He was the second person in less than a week to die in protest-linked incidents. Alex Chow, 22, died last Friday from head injuries sustained during a fall as police skirmished with demonstrators inside a car park.

The unrest has caused multiple injuries but relatively few deaths despite the barrage of police rubber bullets and occasional live fire, as well as petrol bombs and bricks hurled by protesters.

With the protesters showing no signs of relenting, the nearly 30,000-strong city police force ­announced it was drafting in 100 prison guards and looking for other reinforcements.

While there was no suggestion in China on Thursday of the military being deployed, the state-run Global Times raised tensions with a post on its Twitter account that the Hong Kong government was looking to implement a weekend curfew, echoing unsubstantiated rumours online.

However, the Global Times quickly deleted the tweet, and Hong Kong’s government said the rumours were “totally unfounded”.

Protesters are demanding the right to freely elect their leaders, as well as an independent inquiry into alleged police brutality.

Insisting it will not compromise or buckle to the pressure, China has responded with warnings it is prepared to further curb freedoms, and it wants tougher ­security measures in Hong Kong.

But protesters have repeatedly shown they won’t be intimidated. On Thursday, Hong Kong fans roundly jeered the Chinese ­national anthem as the territory prepared to take on Bahrain in a World Cup qualifying match.

On Facebook, police accused “rioters” of shooting “arrows at several police officers” near Polytechnic University, where clashes have occurred this week. At the university, protesters bedded in overnight, building brick walls and barricades with cement and mortar, preparing for an expected police advance.

“I’m looking forward to the police coming,” said a black-clad protester who gave his name as Ah Fai. “We’re not causing the problems, the troubles stem from the government.”

AFP