China says People's Liberation Army will defend every part of its territory

Yang Guang of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council attends a news conference in Hong Kong, in Beijing

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's People's Liberation Army is a strong force and will defend every part of its territory, a spokesman of China's Hong Kong affairs office said, when asked about possible use of Chinese troops in the Asian financial hub riven by protests.

Yang Guang, spokesman for China's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, told a briefing in Beijing that Hong Kong authorities were capable of bringing under control the situation there.

(Reporting by Cate Cadell and Beijing Monitoring Desk)