Protests won't impact HK credit ratings for now: Fitch

Fitch Ratings does not foresee the recent spate of protests affecting Hong Kong's credit ratings for now - AFP Photo.

HONG KONG: Clashes between Hong Kong police and pro-democracy supporters won't significantly impact the city's credit ratings in the short term, unless they last long enough to have material impact on the economy, ratings agency Fitch said on Monday.

"It would be negative if the protests are on a wide enough scale and last long enough to have a material effect on the economy or financial stability, but we don't currently see this as very likely," said Andrew Colquhoun, head of sovereign ratings for Asia Pacific at Fitch.