Beijing’s new chief diplomat in Hong Kong says battle against ‘foreign forces’ his top priority, dubs 2019 protests a ‘colour revolution’

Beijing’s new top diplomat in Hong Kong has promised to make a more robust opposition to perceived external interference his top priority, saying it was his office’s job to establish and guard the city’s “defensive lines”.

Liu Guangyuan, head of the Chinese foreign ministry’s Hong Kong office, made the pledge at a briefing with a group of largely state-owned media outlets on Wednesday, a day after he met with Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and pledged to work with her to safeguard China’s sovereignty and security.