HONG KONG – Government officials in Hong Kong are bracing for a showdown as protesters and police continue to face off into the early morning hours outside the semiautonomous Chinese territory’s legislature ahead of Wednesday’s debate over changes allowing extradition to the Chinese mainland. “We will use our people to surround the Legislative Council, starting from tomorrow,” Sham said Tuesday. The Hong Kong government said its Legislative Council Complex will remain on Amber alert Wednesday, with services including the guided tours, library, archives, children’s area and cafeteria suspended through the day. Sunday’s protest was widely seen as reflecting growing apprehension about relations with the Communist Party-ruled mainland, whose leader, Xi Jinping, has said he has zero tolerance for those demanding greater self-rule for Hong Kong. She emphasized that extradition cases would be decided by Hong Kong courts.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 11, 2019 22:41 UTC