Beijing says no links between HK violence and freedom of speech

The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday the extreme, violent incidents that happened in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region over the weekend had nothing to do with freedom of speech or assembly, but are unlawful acts that challenge the bottom line of the "one country, two systems" principle.

Hua Chunying, ministry spokeswoman and director-general of its Information Department, made the remark a day after the United States Department of State expressed concern over recent protests in Hong Kong and urged the SAR government to respect people's freedom of speech and assembly.

In the ministry's daily news conference in Beijing, Hua stressed that the unlawful acts in Hong Kong have undermined the city's rule of law and violated the SAR's Basic Law and other local laws.