Donald Trump says China must deal with Hong Kong's "riots"

The protests are the most serious political crisis in Hong Kong since his return to China 22 years ago.

Hong Kong:

US President Donald Trump described the Hong Kong protests as" riots " that China will face, signalling a passive approach to the biggest political crisis in the former British colony in decades.

Millions of people have taken to the streets in the last three months to protest an extradition bill that would have allowed people to be sent to mainland China for trial in Communist Party-controlled courts.

The protests are the most serious political crisis in Hong Kong since his return to China 22 years ago.

They also represent the greatest challenge popular faced by the chinese leader Xi Jinping since coming to power in 2012, when Xi is already struggling with a trade war sino-american tensions in the south China sea.

Some activists raised the American flag during the protests, while Beijing accused the American authorities of being behind the violent chaos and warned against interference.

Before going to Ohio on Thursday, journalists asked Trump if he was concerned about reports that China might intervene in Hong Kong, claiming that the city had experienced " long-term riots."

"Hong Kong is part of China, they will have to solve the problem themselves," he said.

The fact that Trump called the protests riots is sure to upset Asian financial center activists who have called on the city government to abandon the use of the word to describe the protests.

On Wednesday, 44 people were accused of taking part in a riot for their role in a recent demonstration that turned into violence when thousands of activists clashed with police near Beijing's main representative office in the city.

Hong Kong law defines riots as an illegal gathering of three or more persons in which any person commits a violation of the peace. A conviction may result in a prison sentence of 10 years.

Trump said earlier this month that he thought Xi had acted responsibly during the protests in Hong Kong and that "China could stop them if they wanted to".

Thousands of civil servants plan to gather on Friday night to support the protesters and urge the authorities to restore confidence in the government, with new demonstrations scheduled for the weekend.
What started as protests against the extradition bill has turned into a broader reaction against the Hong Kong government and its political master in Beijing.