China's defence ministry says Hong Kong protests must respect law

China's defense ministry said on Thursday that protests in Hong Kong must respect the law and that China's military garrison there had the determination to defend the territory.

Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang also told a monthly news briefing that recent armed police drills in Shenzhen were part of routine annual exercises.

Hong Kong has been engulfed in angry and sometimes violent protests against the government for three months, sparked by a now-suspended extradition bill and concerns that Beijing was trying to bring the territory under greater mainland control.

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