Hong Kong police have ‘unwavering support’, Beijing says after remark by city’s leader Carrie Lam

People’s Daily says calls by Hong Kong residents for the force to be disbanded mean being ‘taken on the evil path of anti-China’

City’s chief executive had said in weekend interview her backing of police was not ‘blind support’ and she condemned all violence, including by officers

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Police chase away protesters in Hong Kong on Sunday as unrest continued for a 20th successive weekend. Photo: AP

Published: 7:28pm, 23 Oct 2019Updated: 9:15am, 24 Oct 2019

Beijing has underlined its support for Hong Kong’s embattled police after the city’s leader opened the door to further action if a watchdog’s probe of officers’ conduct did not satisfy the public.

Commentaries by Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily and a prominent mainland blogger offered a staunch defence of the police, with anti-government protests in the city continuing and allegations of misconduct against the force a central point of contention.

People’s Daily published a commentary on its website on Wednesday morning making clear the central government’s “unwavering support” for Hong Kong police in their “fight against violence and restoration of order”.

The newspaper did not explicitly mention the remarks made by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor in interviews with public broadcasters in the city on the weekend.

On Saturday, Lam told broadcaster RTHK that support for Hong Kong police did not mean “blind support”, and vowed to act on any unlawful or violent behaviour, including by the police.