Updated at 4.44pm: Secretary for Security, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, on Tuesday defended security measures at this weeks Global Fortune Forum, local radio reported.
Mrs Ip denied the designated protest zones were too far away from the conference venue at Wan Chai's Convention Centre and said there would be ample opportunity for the public to protests.
However, the right to express opinions should be balanced with the need to provide delegates with a peaceful and quiet environment to allow forum delegates to discuss issues, she said.
Mrs Ip also rejected accusations that the Government was sending the international community a wrong signal by designating protest areas so far away from the forum venue.
Protesters have been banned from demonstrating outside the Convention Centre and allocated a zone 300 metres away, with numbers limited to around 20 per group. Larger gatherings will be allowed to take place in Tsim Sha Tsui.