The unrest has hammered retail sales which fell by their steepest on record in October as protests scared off tourists and hit spending.from visiting Hong Kong - a rest and recreation stop for the US Seventh Fleet - in retaliation for the US legislation.Hong Kong has been rocked by six months of sometimes violent unrest in the biggest challenge to Chinese stability since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.
China denies interfering in Hong Kong's affairs and says it is committed to the"one country, two systems" formula enshrined at the handover and guaranteeing the territory a high degree of autonomy. Beijing blames foreign countries including the United States for inciting unrest.