Beijing strikes cautionary tone on protests in Hong Kong

By KANIS LEUNG
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — China’s senior official overseeing Hong Kong’s affairs says that protests are not the only way for people to express their views, weeks after the city’s strict protest rules sparked controversy while signaling Beijing’s vision for the financial hub. Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, said Saturday the anti-government movement sparked by an extradition bill in 2019 is a scar that will not fade away and he warned against a repeat of such chaos. Xia’s remarks at a ceremony on China’s National Security Education Day indicated Beijing’s views on the city, which is promoting its return to normalcy following strict pandemic-related restrictions and political turmoil over the past three years.