Don't meddle, China warns

China warned on Saturday that some people in Hong Kong were colluding with outside forces concerning the governance of the financial hub.

"Not only are they undermining Hong Kong's stability and development, but they're also attempting to turn Hong Kong into a bridgehead for subverting and infiltrating the Chinese mainland," said an article in the Communist Party's flagship newspaper, People's Daily.

"This absolutely cannot be permitted," it said, citing a unidentified Foreign Ministry official.

The article said Hong Kong's affairs were an internal matter for China, given its status as a special Chinese administrative region. It did not name any individuals or groups, but the US and Britain have previously voiced their wishes for genuine democratic reform in Hong Kong.

The article's release comes a day ahead of an expected announcement, in which Beijing is likely to recommend restrictions on Hong Kong's 2017 elections. These polls will be the first direct elections for the leader of the city.

It's anticipated China's parliament will limit the elections to a handful of pro-Beijing candidates when it meets on Sunday. Under current regulations, the leader is chosen solely by the pro-Beijing committee.

City divided

Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, under an agreement that guaranteed freedoms and civil liberties, including the right to protest.

More recently, Hong Kong has recently seen a series of protests by pro-Beijing and pro-democracy groups.

More than 100,000 people joined a pro-democracy march in July, but a rival pro-Bejing march in August saw tens of thousands take to the streets.

An unofficial referendum conducted in August showed that nearly 800,000 residents - more than a fifth of the city's electorate - cast ballots urging Beijing to allow opposition democrats to run in the 2017 elections.

jr/jm (AP, Reuters)