China warns demonstrators it will act on ‘uncontrollable’ unrest

Beijing’s patience wanes as fierce battles escalate when riot police attempt to round up university occupiers. China warned on Monday it will not sit back and watch Hong Kong’s protests develop into an “uncontrollable” situation as dozens of demonstrators occupying a university made a daring escape as police fired projectiles. Many more anti-government protesters remained trapped inside the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and two prominent figures were allowed by police onto the campus late on Monday to mediate - a sign there is a growing risk of bloodshed. “The situation is getting more and more dangerous,” Jasper Tsang, a pro-Beijing politician who is the former head of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council, said after he arrived at the school. Police fired tear gas and water cannon against protesters who tried to break through police cordons and reach the university to reinforce the demonstrators at the centre of a week-long standoff with security forces. Black-clad protesters hurled petrol bombs as they tried to get to the school in the most intense violence in five months of anti-government demonstrations. The South China Morning Post reported a large fire was burning inside the campus and loud explosions were heard late Monday. Dozens of protesters escaped the besieged university by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road, they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists and fleeing. The violence drew a sharp rebuke from China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Liu Xiaoming. “I think the Hong Kong government is trying very hard to put the situation under control,” Liu told a London press conference. “But if the situation becomes uncontrollable, the central government would certainly not sit on our hands and watch. We have enough resolution and power to end the unrest.” The comments came after a brief and rare deployment of Chinese troops in Hong Kong over the weekend to clean up streets. The People’s Liberation Army has a barracks in an upper-class district of Hong Kong. Asked about a possible intervention, the envoy said: “They are there to show Chinese sovereignty and they are there for defence purposes.” Liu also warned against “external interference” in internal Chinese affairs, singling out the UK and the United States while accusing them of condoning violence by protesters.