Tensions soar as police bring in rubber bullets

HONG KONG, Oct 2 (Reuters): Hong Kong's leader is willing to let pro-democracy demonstrations blocking large areas of the city go on for weeks if necessary, a source close to him said, while defiant protesters vowed they would not budge.

The city's streets were calm early on Thursday while police largely kept their distance from the thousands of mostly young people keeping up protests, now nearly a week old, in several areas of the global financial hub.

The protesters want Hong Kong's leader, Leung Chun-ying, to step down by the end of Thursday and have demanded China introduce full democracy so the city can freely choose its own leader. Leung, appointed by Beijing, has refused to stand down, leaving the two sides far apart in a dispute over how much political control China should have over to Hong Kong.

The popular "Occupy Central" movement presents one of the biggest political challenges for Beijing since it violently crushed pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Leung, Hong Kong's chief executive, is prepared to allow the protests to subside and will only intervene if there is looting or violence, said a government source with ties to Leung.

"Unless there's some chaotic situation, we won't send in riot police ... We hope this doesn't happen," the source said. "We have to deal with it peacefully, even if it lasts weeks or months." Leung could not be reached for comment.

Riot police used tear gas, pepper spray and baton charges last weekend to quell unrest, the worst in Hong Kong since China resumed its rule of the former British colony in 1997.

The protests have calmed considerably since then, and the numbers on the streets have fallen sharply from the tens of thousands seen at the weekend, although an air of tension remains and the demonstrations appear far from over.

However, a crowd of about 100 protesters had blocked the main road leading to Leung's office in the Central business district, some chanting, "Leung Chun-ying, Step Down!"

US President Barack Obama told visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who earlier met Secretary of State John Kerry, that Washington was watching the protests closely and urged a peaceful solution.

"The United States has consistently supported the open system that is essential to Hong Kong's stability and prosperity, universal suffrage, and the aspiration of the Hong Kong people," the White House said in a statement about the meeting, also attended by national security adviser Susan Rice.

AFP report adds: Tensions in Hong Kong soared Thursday after police were seen unloading boxes of tear gas and rubber bullets close to the city's besieged government headquarters as the authorities urged pro-democracy demonstrators to disperse "as soon as possible".

Protesters have shut down central areas of the southern Chinese city with a mass sit-in, including outside the city's legislative assembly, and have given Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying until midnight to step down, or face escalated action.

China backed the city's embattled leader saying it was behind Leung "firmly and unshakably" and pledged support for the police as protesters prepared for a fifth night on the barricades.

Days of peaceful demonstrations have seen tens of thousands of people take over the city's usually traffic-heavy streets as they demand Beijing grant fully free elections in the semi-autonomous city.

Last month China said Hong Kongers would be able to vote for their next leader in 2017 but only those vetted by a loyalist committee would be allowed to stand-something demonstrators have dismissed as a "fake democracy".

BBC report adds: China's state media have strongly backed Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung, praising his performance while condemning protests as "chaos". The support in Communist Party paper People's Daily comes as student activists threaten to occupy government buildings if Mr Leung does not resign.

Police and government have again called on protesters to disperse.

The protesters are angry at China's plan to vet candidates for polls in 2017, saying they want full democracy.

On Wednesday China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi also warned against "illegal" protests and foreign interference. The People's Daily is the Chinese Communist Party's official newspaper. In a front-page editorial on Thursday, it praised Mr Leung's handling of the situation so far. "The central government is full of confidence in Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying [CY Leung], and is completely satisfied with his performance," it said.

Beijing "will thus continue to strongly support Mr Leung's leadership of Hong Kong's legal administration as well as the police's handling of illegal activities", it added.

People's Daily also carried on its website a comment piece from another newspaper which stated: "Hong Kong has for many years enjoyed peace and harmony. It now sees the emergence of this embarrassing chaos, and the root cause lies with a few people who are disrespecting the law."

"Chaos denies Hong Kong residents their prosperity, goes against their wishes, and is not what all Chinese people wish to see or what we can tolerate."