People wave their cell phone lights at a protest held by civil servants in the Central District of Hong Kong on August 2, 2019, in the latest opposition to a planned extradition law that was quickly evolved into a wider movement for democratic reforms. (Photo by Laurel Chor / AFP)
BEIJING 鈥� China demanded Thursday that US diplomats based in Hong Kong 鈥渟top interfering鈥� in the city鈥檚 affairs, after reports that they met with pro-democracy activists.
The foreign ministry said it had expressed 鈥渟trong dissatisfaction鈥� with US authorities, citing local media reports that a US official from Hong Kong鈥檚 US consulate general had met with a local 鈥渋ndependence group鈥�.
In a statement Thursday, the ministry urged the diplomatic office to 鈥渋mmediately make a clean break with various anti-China rioters鈥� and 鈥渟top interfering in Hong Kong鈥檚 affairs immediately.鈥澛�
A report in Hong Kong newspaper Takungpao said there had been a meeting between members of the political party Demosisto 鈥� including prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong 鈥� and Julie Eadeh, political unit chief of the US consulate general in Hong Kong.
When contacted by AFP for comment, a State Department spokesperson said representatives of the US government 鈥渕eet regularly with a wide cross section of people across Hong Kong and Macau.鈥�
鈥淔or example, the day of this particular meeting, our diplomats also met with both pro-establishment and pan-democratic camp legislators, as well as members of the American business community and the consular corps,鈥� said the spokesperson.
Beijing has increasingly pitched the anti-government protests in the semi-autonomous region as funded by the West, but has provided little evidence beyond supportive statements from some Western politicians.
Tensions are high in the Asian financial hub after two months of protests and clashes triggered by opposition to a planned extradition law that quickly evolved into a wider movement for democratic reforms.
Demosisto says it campaigns for more self-determination for Hong Kong but not independence.
Last year, the Hong Kong National Party was outlawed on the grounds it posed a security threat, the first such ban since 1997.