China says opposes "illegal behaviour" in Hong Kong

Pro-democracy protesters gesture during a rally at the financial Central district outside the government headquarters in Hong Kong September 28, 2014. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Hong Kong (Reuters) - China said on Sunday it opposes all kinds of illegal behaviour in Hong Kong that undermines social stability as pro-democracy supporters geared up for a showdown with police as they push demands for greater political freedoms in the former British colony. A spokesperson for China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office added that the central government fully supports the Hong Kong government's handling of the matter in accordance with the law. Violent clashes between Hong Kong riot police and students galvanized tens of thousands of supporters of the city's pro-democracy movement and kick-started a plan to lock down the heart of the Asian financial centre early on Sunday. (Reporting By Anne Marie Roantree; Editing by Nick Macfie)