Beijing to hold second press briefing on Hong Kong unrest in two weeks

Beijing will hold a press conference on Tuesday to reiterate its backing for Hong Kong’s embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the second such show of support in two weeks.

It comes after the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) under the State Council – China’s cabinet – last week broke its silence on the protests and violent clashes since June, giving its first media briefing on the city since its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.

On Monday, Hong Kong media was invited to another briefing, hours after Lam issued a stern warning over the escalating social unrest in the city.

A source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the office may announce “something new” but refused to elaborate further.

Another official with knowledge of the situation told the South China Morning Post that Beijing’s position on Hong Kong remained largely unchanged.

“Hong Kong will not have the same strategic value to China if the chaos continues. If things come to that, even if the central government wants to save Hong Kong, there is not much it can do,” he said.

The Post will carry live coverage of the press conference from 2.30pm.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong members of advisory body the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and national lawmakers will go to neighbouring Shenzhen on Wednesday to be briefed on Beijing’s position on the city, according to a source with knowledge of the meeting.

“This will be an important occasion for Beijing to hear from the members their views of the situation in Hong Kong,” the source said.

During its 40-minute briefing on Monday last week, the HKMAO made clear that a return to law and order should be the “most pressing priority” for Hong Kong.

The office also expressed support for the city’s beleaguered police force in the most unwavering terms, and said it would continue to back the chief executive.

While it condemned an attack on the central government’s liaison office and the use of violence by “a small number of radicals”, the HKMAO made a distinction between them and peaceful demonstrators.

But violence escalated in Hong Kong over the weekend, and on Sunday, masked protesters in the city’s busy tourist district Tsim Sha Tsui threw the Chinese national flag into Victoria Harbour – an act that again triggered uproar on the mainland. There was a similar incident on Monday.

Demonstrators are calling for the complete withdrawal of a controversial extradition bill that would allow criminal suspects to be sent to jurisdictions including mainland China, and an independent inquiry into the police’s handling of the protests, among other demands.