Economy

British government's Hong Kong intervention riles China

August 12, 2019 17:08·
Daily police briefing

Daily police briefing

A woman received a facial injury during a standoff between protesters and police in Tsim Sha Tsui in Hong Kong on August 11, 2019, in the latest opposition to a planned extradition law that was quickly evolved into a wider movement for democratic reforms.

In a statement, the airport said operations had been "seriously disrupted" by the public assembly.

But in a Monday message to staff, chief executive Rupert Hogg reiterated that Cathay Pacific employees would also face "disciplinary consequences" if they get involved in the pro-democracy protests.

Violent anti-government marchers in Hong Kong are showing signs of terrorist activity, China has warned.

Mickey, 16, said many of her classmates chose to sacrifice their study time for the "dream" of Hong Kong's future despite not knowing if it would lead anywhere.

"Other than departure flights that have completed the check- in process and the arrival flights already heading to Hong Kong, all other flights have been cancelled for the rest of today", the authority said in a statement.

A large crowd sat under umbrellas, which are both a protest symbol in Hong Kong and protection from the summer heat.

The Airport Express, the public train many use to reach the airport, isn't much more crowded right now than on a normal busy day. The shutdown began at 4 p.m., just as a spokesman for the State Council's highest Hong Kong affairs office in Beijing said protesters showed "signs of terrorism".

Other demonstrators blocked roads in Wan Chai, where police headquarters is located, and the Causeway Bay shopping district, chanting "reclaim Hong Kong, revolution of our times".

Elsewhere, two petrol bombs were thrown at police and at least one officer suffered burns.

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The city's Beijing-appointed leader Carrie Lam said the increasingly violent protests since June have plunged the Asian financial hub into its most serious crisis in decades.

Hong Kong's airport is a major regional hub, handling 1,100 passenger and cargo flights daily, with services between the city and about 200 global destinations.

Hong Kong was guaranteed freedoms not granted in mainland China, including an independent judiciary, under a "one country, two systems" formula, when Britain handed it back to China in 1997.

In what has become an established pattern, groups of protesters have taken over streets or besieged government buildings after largely peaceful marches and rallies earlier in the day.

Although the government has now suspended the bill, which would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, demonstrators want it to be fully withdrawn.

Businesses, both worldwide and local, in Hong Kong have also faced pressure and accusations of acting in concert or sympathizing with the protesters.

Young people have been at the forefront, anxious about the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong, while also concerned with issues such as wealth disparities in the city.

China is the main diplomatic ally and economic benefactor of isolated North Korea, which has been under worldwide sanctions for its nuclear and ballistic missile development.

Though the carrier doesn't disclose a breakdown of its mainland China business, flights originating from there and Hong Kong account for about half the firm's revenue.

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