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US President Donald Trump on Monday praised Beijing's handling of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, a day after suspected triad gangsters attacked demonstrators in a bloody escalation.
Hong Kong has been plunged into its worst crisis in recent history by weeks of marches, which drew millions, and sporadic violent confrontations between police and pockets of hardcore protesters.
The demonstrations have evolved into a call for democratic reforms, universal suffrage and a halt to sliding freedoms which China had promised to respect in the semi-autonomous territory after its handover from Britain in 1997.
"I know that's a very important situation for President Xi" Jinping of China, Trump said during a White House meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan.
When a reporter suggested that the Hong Kong and Chinese governments were ignoring violence against the protesters, Trump replied that "I think it's been relatively nonviolent."
Hospital authorities said 45 people were wounded in the attack late Sunday which led to the arrest of six men, some of whom police alleged had triad gangster backgrounds.
"China could stop them if they wanted", Trump said of the protests.
"I'm not involved in it very much but I think President Xi of China has acted responsibly, very responsibly," said Trump, who last year began a trade war with China that has led to tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in mutual trade, a dispute still unsettled.
After Sunday's violence critics accused Hong Kong police of responding too slowly.
"They've been out there protesting for a long time. I've never seen protests like it where you have that many people. It looks like two million people," Trump said.
"Those are big protests... I hope that President Xi will do the right thing, but it has been going on a long time, there's no question."
Hardcore protesters have stormed Hong Kong's legislature, and on Sunday some demonstrators targeted with eggs and graffiti China's representative office in the financial hub, which China's foreign ministry called "absolutely intolerable."
UK will keep 'close eye' on Hong Kong violence probe
London (AFP) July 22, 2019 -
Britain "will be keeping a close eye" on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam's investigation into a vicious assault on pro-democracy protesters, a junior foreign minister said Monday.
"I welcome Carrie Lam's statement today saying she has asked the Commissioner of Police to investigate this incident fully and pursue any lawbreakers," Andrew Murrison told the House of Commons.
"We will be keeping a close eye on this."
The minister said it was "important that we do not jump to any conclusions" as to who was behind Sunday's "disturbing scenes."
Anger soared in Hong Kong following the attacks by suspected gangsters that left dozens wounded.
Gangs of men -- most wearing white T-shirts and carrying bats, sticks and metal poles -- set upon anti-government demonstrators as they returned from another huge march earlier that day.
Murrison condemned the violence, adding that "I stand by people's right to protest peacefully and lawfully."
Britain, which signed a treaty handing over control of the region to China in 1997, "remains fully committed to upholding Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, rights and freedoms," he added.
"We will continue to be unwavering in our support for the treaty and expect our co-signatory to behave in a like manner.
"We will continue to stand up and speak out," he told MPs.
British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has called for an independent inquiry into the police response to protests.
Murrison demanded that the inquiry be "full and comprehensive...and crucially independent.
"It probably is not sufficient simply to have an internal police inquiry," he said.
"It really does need to involve Hong Kong's excellent and well-respected judiciary."
Protesters have vowed to keep their movement going until their core demands are met.
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