Hong Kong warns sustained protests could cause 'permanent' damage to financial system

Stock market could experience short-term volatility, says Finance Secretary

Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang warned on Friday afternoon that sustained protests in the city's financial centre could create "permanent" damage to the Asian financial hub.

The city's financial and money markets have been functioning normally, but he said the stock market could expect to experience short-term volatility and that investors should be aware of the risks.

"Hong Kong is at a critical juncture," he said. "This is not the time to lay blame... this is the time that we have to come together to solve problems."