Xia Baolong, head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office in charge of Hong Kong affairs in the Chinese government, visited the Legislative Council on the 16th. Xia addressed more than 80 lawmakers and said, "Dissiding is not democracy," justifying the changes to the electoral system that led to the removal of pro-democracy opponents of the government.
He then stated, "Protests are not the only way to express opinions," and reiterated his stance of thoroughly cracking down on movements critical of the Chinesegovernment.