Hundreds of secondary school students, many wearing masks with their uniforms, held hands to form human chains across Hong Kong on Monday in support of anti-government protesters after another weekend of unrest in the Chinese-ruled city.
Metro stations which had closed on Sunday amid sometimes violent confrontations reopened, although the mood remained tense.
The Hong Kong government warned foreign legislators not to interfere in the internal affairs of the former British colony after thousands of protesters called on United States President Donald Trump to "liberate" the city.
Chinese state media on Monday said Hong Kong was an inseparable part of China and any form of secessionism would be “crushed".
The China Daily newspaper said Sunday's rally was proof foreign forces were behind the protests and said demonstrators should "stop trying the patience of the central government".
Three months of protests over a now-withdrawn extradition bill have evolved into a broader backlash against the government. Many activists are angry over Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam's refusal to grant an independent inquiry into accusations of police brutality during demonstrations.
The protesters' other demands include the retraction of the word "riot" to describe demonstrations, the release of all those arrested and the right for Hong Kong people to choose their own leaders.
'Looking for democracy'
Joshua Wong, one of the leaders of the pro-democracy "Umbrella" movement five years ago, was due to appear in court on Monday for breaching bail conditions following his arrest in August when he was charged with inciting and participating in an unauthorised assembly.
Hong Kong returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland. Many Hong Kong residents fear Beijing is eroding that autonomy.
China denies the accusation of meddling and says Hong Kong is an internal affair. It has denounced the protests, accusing the US and the United Kingdom of fomenting unrest, and warned of the damage to the economy.
“The United States continues to monitor events in Hong Kong," said a senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"The freedoms of expression and assembly are core values that we share with the people of Hong Kong, and those freedoms must be vigorously protected. As the president has said: ‘they’re looking for democracy and I think most people want democracy’.”
Hong Kong visitor arrivals plunged nearly 40% in August from a year earlier, deepening from July’s 5 per cent fall, the finance secretary said as sometimes violent anti-government protests take a rising toll on the city’s tourism, retail and hotel businesses.
Hotels in some locations had seen occupancy rates drop to about half, while room rates plunged 40-70pc, Paul Chan said, citing industry sources.
"The most worrying thing is that it does not seem that the road ahead is easily going to turn any better," Chan said in his blog on Sunday.
July tourist arrivals fell 4.8pc on the year, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, the first annual decline since January 2018 and the biggest percentage drop since August 2016.
Retail sales in July sank by the most since February 2016 amid the anti-government protests that have gripped the Chinese-ruled city for more than three months.
Chan said the social unrest had severely damaged the image of Hong Kong as a safe international city and a hub for trade, aviation and finance.
On Monday, hundreds of uniformed school students formed human chains in districts across Hong Kong in support of anti-government protesters after another weekend of clashes in the Chinese-ruled city. Metro stations that had closed on Sunday amid confrontations reopened.
Chan said that repeated violent conflicts, the blocking of roads, underground railways and the airport had obstructed people from going to work and school and led to the cancellation or rescheduling of “many” international conferences and exhibitions.
Total export fell 5.7% year on year in July, while re-export value to the United States from China via Hong Kong declined 15.2% from a year earlier, he said.
Global credit rating agency Fitch Ratings on Friday downgraded Hong Kong’s long-term foreign currency issuer default rating to “AA” from “AA+”, and said it expects public discontent will likely persist.
“Fitch’s view is purely speculative, lacking justification,” Chan said.
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