Hong Kong: China warns world to not interfere

China has branded the Occupy Central protests in Hong Kong "illegal" and has warned the world not to "interfere in internal affairs".

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that China was "resolutely opposed to any country attempting in any way to support such illegal activities like Occupy Central.

In a statement the UK foreign office said: "It is Britain's longstanding position that Hong Kong's prosperity and security are underpinned by its fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to demonstrate".

The White House has said the US is "closely watching" the situation and has urged the authorities to show restraint and for the protestors to remain peaceful.

Students and activists who form Occupy Central oppose Beijing's decision to rule out fully democratic elections in Hong Kong in 2017.