China says stopping violence is the most important thing in Hong Kong

Demonstrators carry umbrellas during an anti-government protest in Central, Hong Kong

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said stopping violence is the most important thing in Hong Kong now after the United States condemned "unjustified use of deadly force" in the latest violence and urged China to honour its commitments to freedom of expression in the territory.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang made the comments at a daily news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday.

Police shot and critically wounded a protester and a man was set on a fire in Hong Kong on Monday.

(Reporting by Catherine Cadell; Editing by Himani Sarkar)