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| Hong Kong police escort a detained protester near the central government offices after thousands of people took part in an unsanctioned march through Hong Kong, in this file photo dated Sept. 29. AFP |
China's head of public security called for stronger cooperation with Hong Kong police Friday, according to state media, as pro-democracy protesters vowed to hold another massive rally over the weekend.
In a meeting with Hong Kong police chief Tang Ping-keung, Chinese Public Security Minister Zhao Kezhi said he hoped to "strengthen cooperation" and "jointly safeguard national security and the social stability of Hong Kong."
"The central government and public security ministry will always be a strong backup force for the Hong Kong police force," he told Tang in Beijing, according to a the official news site of the Ministry of Public Security.
Zhao's remarks come as Hong Kong has been battered by six months of often violent protests pushing for greater democratic freedoms and police accountability in the starkest challenge the city has presented to Beijing since its 1997 handover from the United Kingdom.
The international finance hub has been ruled by a unique system guaranteeing greater freedoms than on the mainland ― rights protesters say are being steadily eroded by Beijing.
The protests are also backlit by fears Beijing may send in troops to quash the movement.
China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has a permanent garrison based in Hong Kong which, under city law, can be deployed if the local government requests help to maintain social order.
At Friday's meeting, Tang thanked China's public security ministry for its "vigorous support and help" and told Zhao that the city's police force would "throw all of its energy" into stopping the violence and unrest.
The force's reputation has suffered during the protests, with many accusing officers of brutality.
A new poll released Friday by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme, which has tracked public sentiment for years, showed a new record disapproval for the force with 40 percent of respondents now giving it the lowest mark of zero. (AFP)
