Beijing Thursday accused Washington of "adding fuel to the fire" of Hong Kong unrest after leaders of the city's pro-democracy movement appealed directly to US lawmakers to exert pressure on China. Activists from the semi-autonomous city testified before a congressional commission in support of US legislation aimed at defending civil rights in Hong Kong, which has been convulsed by weeks of huge, sometimes violent rallies.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press briefing Thursday that the US should "stop supporting violent radical forces and Hong Kong independence separatists, and stop adding fuel to the fire to the words and deeds that damage the prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."

Geng called for the US to "stop interfering in Hong Kong's affairs in any form." Millions have taken to the streets of Hong Kong in months of protests, which were initially against a now-dropped bid by its leaders to allow extraditions to the mainland, but broadened into a wider push for democracy.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2019