Hong Kong's leader defended her administration's use of "ambush lockdowns" on Tuesday after a spate of overnight operations to conduct surprise mandatory coronavirus tests uncovered no new cases.

The new tactic involves authorities giving no warning of an impending lockdown, sealing off buildings where cases are detected and then ensuring everyone inside is tested, usually overnight.

But the operations have had limited success.

Overnight on Monday police cordoned off designated areas in four densely populated districts. Authorities conducted some 1,700 tests but found zero new infections.

On Tuesday, city leader Carrie Lam said the ambush lockdowns were "not a waste of manpower and money but instead well worth" the resources.

"We can't take the number of confirmed cases as the sole or decisive standard," Lam told reporters.&nbsp;

"Efficacy does not only concern recovery rate, but also prevention of the disease."

Hong Kong's government are taking a much more proactive approach to testing similar to tactics used on the authoritarian mainland as it struggles to contain a winter wave of infections.

On Tuesday morning, the government warned authorities would forcibly break into their apartments if law enforcement suspected people were hiding in their homes or refusing to submit a mandatory test.

Lam's de facto deputy &nbsp;Matthew Cheung said officials would use "wider and more frequent" lockdowns as the city heads into the Lunar New Year holidays next week.

Hong Kong was one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus after it spilled out of central China.

It has recorded nearly 10,500 infections with some 170 deaths by imposing effective but economically ruinous social distancing measures for much of the last year.

Hong Kong's leader defended her administration's use of "ambush lockdowns" on Tuesday after a spate of overnight operations to conduct surprise mandatory coronavirus tests uncovered no new cases.

Hong Kong's leader defended her administration's use of "ambush lockdowns" on Tuesday after a spate of overnight operations to conduct surprise mandatory coronavirus tests uncovered no new cases. The new tactic involves authorities giving no warning of an impending lockdown, sealing off buildings where cases are detected and then ensuring everyone inside is tested, usually overnight. But the operations have had limited success. Overnight on Monday police cordoned off designated areas in four densely populated districts. Authorities conducted some 1,700 tests but found zero new infections. On Tuesday, city leader Carrie Lam said the ambush lockdowns were "not a waste of manpower and money but instead well worth" the resources. "We can't take the number of confirmed cases as the sole or decisive standard," Lam told reporters. "Efficacy does not only concern recovery rate, but also prevention of the disease." Hong Kong's government are taking a much more proactive approach to testing similar to tactics used on the authoritarian mainland as it struggles to contain a winter wave of infections. On Tuesday morning, the government warned authorities would forcibly break into their apartments if law enforcement suspected people were hiding in their homes or refusing to submit a mandatory test. Lam's de facto deputy Matthew Cheung said officials would use "wider and more frequent" lockdowns as the city heads into the Lunar New Year holidays next week. Hong Kong was one of the first places to be struck by the coronavirus after it spilled out of central China. It has recorded nearly 10,500 infections with some 170 deaths by imposing effective but economically ruinous social distancing measures for much of the last year.

Hong Kong leader defends 'ambush lockdown' tactics

Matthew Cheung Kin-Chung, Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, addressed media on deadly coronavirus outbreak.

Hong Kong Press Conference on Coronavirus Crisis

Hong&nbsp;Kong's chief secretary, Matthew Cheung, said on Tuesday he was disappointed with recent protest&nbsp;violence&nbsp;after a period of relative calm, as the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/hong-kong-falls-into-first-recession-in-10-years-as-protests-trade-war-weigh-259138">Asian financial hub</a> geared up for&nbsp;more&nbsp;anti-government&nbsp;demonstrations in the coming days.

Cheung, speaking at a weekly press briefing, was referring to a protest on Sunday when police fired tear gas in late-night street clashes the first time tear gas had been used in nearly two weeks.

"The work of&nbsp;stopping the&nbsp;violence&nbsp;has not yet been completed, we need to keep working on it. At the same time, we need to put effort into resolving deep-rooted&nbsp;problems," Cheung said.

His comments came after the city's leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, met Chinese President<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/chinas-failed-quest-for-soft-power-268344"> Xi Jinping</a> on Monday.

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<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/clashes-break-out-at-hong-kong-malls-8-activists-arrested-268433/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

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Xi offered Lam his support and praised her courage in governing the city during the "most difficult times" of often violent anti-government&nbsp;protests.

Lam, who is due back in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;on Tuesday, also met Premier <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-premier-says-hong-kong-not-yet-out-of-protest-dilemma-268458">Li Keqiang</a> during her regular duty visit to Beijing.

"Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;right now has not stepped out of its dilemma," Li said, according to remarks broadcast by Cable TV, as he urged Lam's administration to end the&nbsp;violence.

"The government&nbsp;should make continuous efforts to bring the&nbsp;violence&nbsp;and chaos to an end in accordance with the law and restore order".

He also urged the&nbsp;government&nbsp;to address "deep-rooted issues in the economic and social development of&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong" to ensure stability and prosperity in the region.

The financial hub has been embroiled in&nbsp;more&nbsp;than six months of anti-government&nbsp;protests which show no sign of abating.

Protests are scheduled across the city on Tuesday as well as through the rest of the week and into<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/migrants-gather-at-us-mexico-border-for-christmas-party-268529"> Christmas</a>.

Protesters are angry about what they see as an encroachment by China on wide-ranging autonomy&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;was guaranteed under a "one country, two systems" framework which governs the former British colony and the neighbouring casino hub of Macau.

China has rejected the complaints and blamed other countries, including the United States, for inciting the protests.

Xi is due to begin a three-day visit to Macau on Wednesday and security has been tightened. There have been no protests in the former Portuguese colony.

While the number of protests and the&nbsp;violence&nbsp;has eased in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;in recent weeks, the pro-democracy movement retains broad public backing, with families and older people coming out to recent demonstrations.

They are calling on the&nbsp;government&nbsp;to listen to their demands which include an independent investigation into police behaviour and the implementation of full universal suffrage.

The trigger for the protests was a proposed extradition law, that would have allowed&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;citizens to be prosecuted in mainland courts. The bill, which the city later dropped, raised concern about what many&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;people see as the undermining by Beijing of their freedoms.

The recent arrest by mainland security officials of a&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;resident at a checkpoint on a newly-opened bridge linking&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wall-street-slips-as-us-law-on-hong-kong-brings-back-trade-fears-265311">Macau</a> and the mainland city of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/timeline-chinas-military-drones-make-it-a-mobile-warfare-specialist-260842">Zhuhai </a>has stirred new concerns.

The media reported the 53-year-old suspect was detained on Friday while travelling to Macau on a bus.

Cheung, asked about the arrest, said the matter was beyond the city's control and related to security matters on the mainland.

"It's perfectly justified for them to exercise jurisdiction within their own territory, it's entirely legal and justified," he said.

Mainland police said the person detained was part of a mobile phone smuggling syndicate.

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;residents have been on heightened alert to citizens disappearing over the border into mainland China since five city booksellers went missing in 2015. All later appeared in detention in China, with some showing up in video footage making what appeared to be forced confessions.

A former British consulate employee in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;said in November that Chinese secret police beat him in an attempt to force him to give information about activists leading pro-democracy protests.

Hong Kong's chief secretary, Matthew Cheung, said on Tuesday he was disappointed with recent protest violence after a period of relative calm, as the Asian financial hub geared up for more anti-government demonstrations in the coming days.

Hong Kong's chief secretary, Matthew Cheung, said on Tuesday he was disappointed with recent protest violence after a period of relative calm, as the Asian financial hub geared up for more anti-government demonstrations in the coming days. Cheung, speaking at a weekly press briefing, was referring to a protest on Sunday when police fired tear gas in late-night street clashes the first time tear gas had been used in nearly two weeks. "The work of stopping the violence has not yet been completed, we need to keep working on it. At the same time, we need to put effort into resolving deep-rooted problems," Cheung said. His comments came after the city's leader, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday. Xi offered Lam his support and praised her courage in governing the city during the "most difficult times" of often violent anti-government protests. Lam, who is due back in Hong Kong on Tuesday, also met Premier Li Keqiang during her regular duty visit to Beijing. "Hong Kong right now has not stepped out of its dilemma," Li said, according to remarks broadcast by Cable TV, as he urged Lam's administration to end the violence. "The government should make continuous efforts to bring the violence and chaos to an end in accordance with the law and restore order". He also urged the government to address "deep-rooted issues in the economic and social development of Hong Kong" to ensure stability and prosperity in the region. The financial hub has been embroiled in more than six months of anti-government protests which show no sign of abating. Protests are scheduled across the city on Tuesday as well as through the rest of the week and into Christmas. Protesters are angry about what they see as an encroachment by China on wide-ranging autonomy Hong Kong was guaranteed under a "one country, two systems" framework which governs the former British colony and the neighbouring casino hub of Macau. China has rejected the complaints and blamed other countries, including the United States, for inciting the protests. Xi is due to begin a three-day visit to Macau on Wednesday and security has been tightened. There have been no protests in the former Portuguese colony. While the number of protests and the violence has eased in Hong Kong in recent weeks, the pro-democracy movement retains broad public backing, with families and older people coming out to recent demonstrations. They are calling on the government to listen to their demands which include an independent investigation into police behaviour and the implementation of full universal suffrage. The trigger for the protests was a proposed extradition law, that would have allowed Hong Kong citizens to be prosecuted in mainland courts. The bill, which the city later dropped, raised concern about what many Hong Kong people see as the undermining by Beijing of their freedoms. The recent arrest by mainland security officials of a Hong Kong resident at a checkpoint on a newly-opened bridge linking Hong Kong with Macau and the mainland city of Zhuhai has stirred new concerns. The media reported the 53-year-old suspect was detained on Friday while travelling to Macau on a bus. Cheung, asked about the arrest, said the matter was beyond the city's control and related to security matters on the mainland. "It's perfectly justified for them to exercise jurisdiction within their own territory, it's entirely legal and justified," he said. Mainland police said the person detained was part of a mobile phone smuggling syndicate. Hong Kong residents have been on heightened alert to citizens disappearing over the border into mainland China since five city booksellers went missing in 2015. All later appeared in detention in China, with some showing up in video footage making what appeared to be forced confessions. A former British consulate employee in Hong Kong said in November that Chinese secret police beat him in an attempt to force him to give information about activists leading pro-democracy protests.

Hong Kong needs to do more to stop violence, resolve problems: Government

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Hong Kong leader defends 'ambush lockdown' tactics

Hong Kong Press Conference on Coronavirus Crisis

Hong Kong needs to do more to stop violence, resolve problems: Government