Grace Lee speaks about the current situation in Hong Kong.

WION Dispatch: Grace Lee on Hong Kong Crisis

Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Envoy to UK addresses Press Conference on Hong Kong Crisis

Chinese Envoy to UK addresses Press Conference on Hong Kong Crisis

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will hold her first talks with the public on Thursday in a bid to resolve a political crisis that has fuelled nearly four months of sometimes violent protests and plunged the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-firmly-support-carrie-lam-in-leading-hong-kong-china-247307">Chinese-run</a> city into chaos.

Beijing-backed Lam will hold a dialogue with 150 members of the community, with each participant given around three minutes to express their views, city authorities have said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/protesters-in-hong-kong-reject-carrie-lams-assertion-extradition-bill-dead-threaten-mass-rallies-234227">Tight security</a> is expected around the venue in the commercial and nightlife district of Wan Chai, where some schools and businesses planned to close early ahead of the meeting scheduled at 1100 GMT.

"Deep wounds have been opened in our society. These will take time to heal," Lam said in an opinion piece in the New York Times.

"But it remains this government's hope that conversation will triumph over conflict and that through its actions, calm can be restored and trust can be rebuilt within the community", she added.

But resident Poon Yau-Lok, 62, was sceptical of the talks making any difference.

"They wouldn't listen when 200,000 people marched on the street. Why would they listen to just 150?", she said.

What started as protests over a now-shelved extradition bill that would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial have evolved into broader calls for greater democracy, among other demands.

There has been <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-leader-says-rule-of-law-being-damaged-citys-recovery-will-take-long-time-242574">violent unrest</a> in parts of the former British colony over the last three months, but life for most people goes on as normal most of the time.

The protests have taken a heavy toll on some businesses as tourists stay away. Cathay Pacific, the city's flagship carrier, has been the biggest corporate casualty after China demanded it suspend staff involved in the protests.

Cathay CEO Rupert Hogg and Chairman John Slosar have since left the company.

Rail operator MTR Corp has also suffered, with passenger numbers on the high-speed rail link to mainland China plunging 30 per cent to 1.14 million people in August from July.

Passengers on the Airport Express, which links the city to the airport where protesters have disrupted operations, were down 10 per cent over the same period to 1.3 million people.

The MTR has at times suspended city rail services during the protests, preventing some demonstrators from gathering and making it a target of attack, with protesters vandalising stations and setting fires near some exits.

The rail operator halted services at Sha Tin station on Wednesday night after protesters vandalised facilities there for a second time since the weekend.

Train services resumed on Thursday.

The protesters are also angry about what they see as creeping Chinese interference in Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedom that are not enjoyed on the mainland.

China says that it is committed to the arrangement and denies meddling. It has accused foreign governments including the United States and Britain of inciting the unrest.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-leader-carrie-lam-to-hold-dialogue-aimed-at-easing-tensions-250100">Hong Kong</a> is on edge ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, with authorities eager to avoid scenes that could embarrass the Central Government in Beijing.

The Asian financial hub also marks the fifth anniversary this weekend of the start of the 'Umbrella' protests, a series of pro-democracy demonstrations in 2014 that failed to wrestle concessions from Beijing.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will hold her first talks with the public on Thursday in a bid to resolve a political crisis that has fuelled nearly four months of sometimes violent protests and plunged the Chinese-run city into chaos.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam will hold her first talks with the public on Thursday in a bid to resolve a political crisis that has fuelled nearly four months of sometimes violent protests and plunged the Chinese-run city into chaos. Beijing-backed Lam will hold a dialogue with 150 members of the community, with each participant given around three minutes to express their views, city authorities have said. Tight security is expected around the venue in the commercial and nightlife district of Wan Chai, where some schools and businesses planned to close early ahead of the meeting scheduled at 1100 GMT. "Deep wounds have been opened in our society. These will take time to heal," Lam said in an opinion piece in the New York Times. "But it remains this government's hope that conversation will triumph over conflict and that through its actions, calm can be restored and trust can be rebuilt within the community", she added. But resident Poon Yau-Lok, 62, was sceptical of the talks making any difference. "They wouldn't listen when 200,000 people marched on the street. Why would they listen to just 150?", she said. What started as protests over a now-shelved extradition bill that would have allowed criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial have evolved into broader calls for greater democracy, among other demands. There has been violent unrest in parts of the former British colony over the last three months, but life for most people goes on as normal most of the time. The protests have taken a heavy toll on some businesses as tourists stay away. Cathay Pacific, the city's flagship carrier, has been the biggest corporate casualty after China demanded it suspend staff involved in the protests. Cathay CEO Rupert Hogg and Chairman John Slosar have since left the company. Rail operator MTR Corp has also suffered, with passenger numbers on the high-speed rail link to mainland China plunging 30 per cent to 1.14 million people in August from July. Passengers on the Airport Express, which links the city to the airport where protesters have disrupted operations, were down 10 per cent over the same period to 1.3 million people. The MTR has at times suspended city rail services during the protests, preventing some demonstrators from gathering and making it a target of attack, with protesters vandalising stations and setting fires near some exits. The rail operator halted services at Sha Tin station on Wednesday night after protesters vandalised facilities there for a second time since the weekend. Train services resumed on Thursday. The protesters are also angry about what they see as creeping Chinese interference in Hong Kong, which returned to China in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula intended to guarantee freedom that are not enjoyed on the mainland. China says that it is committed to the arrangement and denies meddling. It has accused foreign governments including the United States and Britain of inciting the unrest. Hong Kong is on edge ahead of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, with authorities eager to avoid scenes that could embarrass the Central Government in Beijing. The Asian financial hub also marks the fifth anniversary this weekend of the start of the 'Umbrella' protests, a series of pro-democracy demonstrations in 2014 that failed to wrestle concessions from Beijing.

Hong Kong unrest: Leader Carrie Lam to hold first talks in bid to end crisis

China will not "sit by and watch" and is ready to "quell the unrest swiftly" if the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-china-should-treat-hong-kong-humanely-before-trade-deal-can-be-agreed-243136">crisis in Hong Kong</a> becomes "uncontrollable", China's ambassador to London said on Thursday.

"If the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-urge-china-to-adhere-to-sino-british-joint-declaration-on-hong-kong-us-state-department-243027">situation deteriorates further into unrest</a> uncontrollable by the SAR (Special Administrative Region) government, then the central government will not sit by and watch," Liu Xiaoming said in a televised press conference.

"We have enough solutions and enough power to quell the unrest swiftly," he said.

Images taken by AFP earlier on Thursday showed thousands of Chinese military personnel waving red flags and parading at a sports stadium in the city of Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong.

Dozens of armoured personnel carriers and supply trucks were also parked nearby.

"We hope this will end in an orderly way. In the meantime we are fully prepared for the worst," Liu said.

Watch: UK condemns violence in Hong Kong

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He also protested against "foreign interference" in the Hong Kong protests and urged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to handle the issue with "great caution".

"I think some politicians in this country... still regard Hong Kong as part of the British empire," he said.

The Hong Kong protests were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, but have since morphed into a wider -- sometimes violent -- call for democratic rights.

The movement represents the greatest challenge to Beijing's authority since the city was handed back by the British in 1997 under a deal that allowed it to keep freedoms that many Hong Kongers feel are being eroded.

China earlier this month warned Britain to stop "meddling" after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and emphasised the need for a "fully independent investigation into recent events".&nbsp;

China will not "sit by and watch" and is ready to "quell the unrest swiftly" if the crisis in Hong Kong becomes "uncontrollable", China's ambassador to London said on Thursday.

China will not "sit by and watch" and is ready to "quell the unrest swiftly" if the crisis in Hong Kong becomes "uncontrollable", China's ambassador to London said on Thursday. "If the situation deteriorates further into unrest uncontrollable by the SAR (Special Administrative Region) government, then the central government will not sit by and watch," Liu Xiaoming said in a televised press conference. "We have enough solutions and enough power to quell the unrest swiftly," he said. Images taken by AFP earlier on Thursday showed thousands of Chinese military personnel waving red flags and parading at a sports stadium in the city of Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong. Dozens of armoured personnel carriers and supply trucks were also parked nearby. "We hope this will end in an orderly way. In the meantime we are fully prepared for the worst," Liu said. Watch: UK condemns violence in Hong Kong × He also protested against "foreign interference" in the Hong Kong protests and urged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to handle the issue with "great caution". "I think some politicians in this country... still regard Hong Kong as part of the British empire," he said. The Hong Kong protests were sparked by opposition to a plan to allow extraditions to the mainland, but have since morphed into a wider -- sometimes violent -- call for democratic rights. The movement represents the greatest challenge to Beijing's authority since the city was handed back by the British in 1997 under a deal that allowed it to keep freedoms that many Hong Kongers feel are being eroded. China earlier this month warned Britain to stop "meddling" after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and emphasised the need for a "fully independent investigation into recent events".

China 'will not sit by' if Hong Kong crisis worsens, says Chinese envoy to UK

Hong Kong protesters still protesting over Extradition Bill. Protesters also hindered the train services for local commuters during the rush hours.

Hong Kong protesters hinder trains on route during the peak hours

Protesters in Hong Kong are constantly defying the local govt. Protesters said that they have been attacked by the masked men. Police are also doing violence with them. Youth protesters asked for the probe in this police violence.

Hong Kong: Territory rocked by it's biggest political crisis, Youth slams China

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