China state media reiterated on Monday, Sept. 9, that Hong Kong can never be separated from China.

China Daily, the English-language state-run media that is mainly geared towards a foreign audience, published an editorial with the headline: "Demonstrators betray hidden US hand behind HK protests".

"Hong Kong is an inseparable part of China -- and that is the bottom line no one should challenge, not the demonstrators, not the foreign forces playing their dirty games," China Daily said in its editorial.

Any form of secessionism "will be crushed", it added.

Hong Kong protesters call for US assistance

This message came a day after demonstrators called for democracy to be brought to the city when they rallied at the United States consulate to ask for help.

The China Daily newspaper said Sunday's rally in Hong Kong was proof that foreign forces are behind the protests that have convulsed Hong Kong since mid-June.

"The demonstrations in Hong Kong are not about rights or democracy. They are a result of foreign interference. Lest the central government's restraint be misconstrued as weakness, let it be clear secessionism in any form will be crushed," it said.

The piece also warned demonstrators to "stop trying the patience of the central government".

Another state media piece

Global Times, another state media organ and tabloid, published a piece on the same day on Sept. 8, citing its own expert who said the US will never "free" HK and will only destabilise China.

The expert was of the opinion that the US is using Hong Kong to hit China hard.

The latest Hong Kong protests calling for US aid was also taken as proof that there is foreign interference in Hong Kong.

Republicans and Democrats in the US are pushing for the passing of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, an act characterised by the tabloid as fanning the flames in Hong Kong by American politicians.

The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is an amendment to the Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992, which allows the US government to grant Hong Kong trade and business privileges.

One of the most important provisions of the proposed bill is that officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government who are found suppressing Hong Kong's democracy, human rights or citizen freedoms can have their assets in the US frozen and be denied entry to the US.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted in reference to the introduction of the act and what has been assumed to be bipartisan consensus around it: "If we don't speak out for human rights in China because of commercial interests, we lose all moral authority to speak out elsewhere."

Previous state media piece

State news agency Xinhua said previously in a separate commentary on Sept. 1 that the rule of law has to prevail, or else the protests to stir up unrest in Hong Kong compromises the "one country, two systems" principle and spreads the "color revolution" into the Chinese mainland.

It warned that "the end is coming for those attempting to disrupt Hong Kong and antagonise China".

Background

Anger over a proposed extradition bill grew into violent protests calling for more freedoms for Hong Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam formally scrapped the bill on Sept. 4 as part of concessions to quell protests.

Top photo via Apple Daily