Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam warns US against interference in protests

Days after thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the US consulate to ask President Donald Trump to "liberate" the city, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday warned the US and other countries against meddling in city's domestic affairs.

"It would be 'totally unacceptable' for Washington or any other country to intervene in the semi-autonomous Chinese region," CNN quoted Lam as saying.

"The Hong Kong government completely disagrees and expresses deep regret that foreign parliaments are interfering in our internal affairs through legislation," she said while addressing the press. We will never allow them to be stakeholders in Hong Kong's internal affairs," she added.

Earlier on Sunday, thousands of protesters submitted a letter to officials of the US consulate, urging it to take effective steps to help the protestors as the protests entered the 14th consecutive week.

Many of the protesters on Sunday expressed support for Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, which calls upon the US government to take a host of steps if the semi-autonomous region does not "remain sufficiently autonomous from the People's Republic of China."

When asked about the possibility of the US Congress passing the bill, which could affect trade relations between the city and Washington, she said: "Some 1,400 US companies in Hong Kong currently benefit from Washington's relationship with the city and any particular provisions applied to Hong Kong by the Americans are not exclusively for the benefit of Hong Kong."

A potential passing of the bill could further damage the city's economy. The US-China trade war, coupled with months of unrest, has already slowed down businesses and forced restaurants to lay off workers.

Currently, the bill is supported by both the parties in the US Congress.

Earlier this week, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, "Democrats and Republicans continue to stand united with the people of Hong Kong in demanding the hopeful, free and democratic future that is their right."

Hong Kong maintains a separate political, legal and economic system from China due to a "one country, two systems" framework agreed upon during the handling of the territory from the United Kingdom to China in 1997.