Beijing officials to address Hong Kong unrest

Two representatives from the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council -- a prominent party organ that deals with the two semi-autonomous hubs -- will speak to the media on Tuesday in Beijing about the "current situation in Hong Kong".

Last week, the body held a rare media event in which it threw its support behind the Hong Kong government, following another weekend of protests.

The wave of demonstrations was triggered by opposition to a planned law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China, but has evolved into a wider movement for democratic reform and a halt to eroding freedoms.

So far, Beijing has backed the city's leader Carrie Lam, who warned Monday that pro-democracy protesters are creating a "very dangerous situation".

The past fortnight has seen a surge in violence on both sides of the protests, with police repeatedly firing rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse increasingly hostile projectile-throwing crowds.