Jeremy Hunt: Good relations with China can continue despite Hong Kong dispute

yangyang

SHANGHAI/HONGKONG, July 4 (Reuters) - Chinese state media blamed meddling by Western governments on Thursday for unrest in Hong Kong amid an escalating diplomatic spat between China and the United Kingdom over protests in the former British colony.

"Ideologues in Western governments never cease in their efforts to engineer unrest against governments that are not to their liking, even though their actions have caused misery and chaos in country after country in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia," the official China Daily said in an editorial.

"Now they are trying the same trick in China," the English-language newspaper said.

Hundreds of protesters besieged and broke into the Hong Kong legislature on Monday after a demonstration marking the anniversary of the return to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula that includes freedoms not enjoyed in mainland China, including the right to protest.

That followed weeks of protests against a now-suspended extradition bill that opponents say would undermine Hong Kong's much-cherished rule of law and give Beijing powers to prosecute activists in mainland courts, which are controlled by the Communist Party.

Hong Kong police have arrested more than two dozen people in connection with the protests. Investigators and forensics teams have been combing through evidence in the legislature and more arrests are expected.