China says Western politicians stirring Hong Kong troubles

Yang Guang, the spokesman of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council, speaks during a press conference about the ongoing protests in Hong Kong, at the State Council Information Office in Beijing, Monday, July 29, 2019. Yang said some Western politicians are stirring unrest in Hong Kong in hopes of creating difficulties that will impede China’s overall development. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

BEIJING — A Chinese official said Monday that some Western politicians are stirring unrest in Hong Kong in hopes of creating difficulties that will impede China’s overall development.

Yang Guang, the spokesman for the Cabinet’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, said such attempts will come to nothing because Beijing will tolerate no outside interference in the affairs of the former British colony, which has been wracked by nearly two months of pro-democracy protests.

Yang said at a news conference that some people in the West applied “strange logic” that prompted them to be sympathetic and tolerant of “violent crimes” while criticizing the police force’s “due diligence.”

“At the end of the day, their intention is to create trouble in Hong Kong, make Hong Kong a problem to China, in order to contain China’s development,” Yang said, without mentioning any specific individuals or countries behind the “irresponsible remarks.”

The protests in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory began in early June as a call to withdraw an extradition bill that would have allowed people in Hong Kong to be sent to mainland China to stand trial. Since the government indefinitely suspended the legislation, demonstrators have broadened their scope to demand greater democracy and government accountability.

Police on Sunday repeatedly fired tear gas and rubber bullets to drive back protesters blocking Hong Kong streets with road signs and umbrellas. /kga