Hong Kong's embattled leader on Sunday (Oct 19) said the ongoing demonstrations by pro-democracy protesters were the handiwork of "foreign forces", paralyzing business activity in parts of the city.

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said "external forces"  have been backing up the protesters and encouraging them to mass sit-ins that have blocked major streets and roads for three weeks now.

Like Us on Facebook

Leung did not elaborate the "foreign forces"  he claimed were supporting the activists but he said that the demonstrations were not entirely a "domestic movement."

"I shan't go into details, but this is not entirely a domestic movement," he said in a television interview on Sunday night.

China state media has been accusing the United States of meddling in China's affairs by inciting the protesters to take to the streets.

The state media said anti-China forces such as the United States have been manipulating the protesters.

Beijing has repeatedly warned other countries not to meddle in Hong Kong affairs as this is part of the internal affairs of China.

Talks between the government officials and the students will go on as planned on Tuesday despite the clashes but observers said with China and Leung not giving in to the students' demands of autonomy, there is little chance to reach a breakthrough.

China is pushing for its laws on Hong Kong that provides that the candidates for the 2017 elections vote for Hong Kong leader must be approved by a pro-Beijing Committee.

This condition was being dismissed by the protesters as "fake democracy."

Leung has repeated its warning to the protesters that it is not caving in to the protesters' demand to choose a leader of their own.

Leung presented China's mini-constitution to media, saying that there is nothing in the constitution that says Hong Kongers have the right to pick their own leader.

TagsHong Kong, 2017 election, CY Leung, protests