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Beijing has called Hong Kong's most famous billionaire to order, and for a long time Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing. She reproaches him for his comments perceived as favorable to the Hong Kong protesters.
With our correspondent in Hong Kong, Florence de Changy
Li Ka-shing is the most emblematic billionaire of Hong Kong. Starting from scratch, selling plastic flowers on the street in the 1950s, he became one of the most powerful businessmen in the world.
In mid-August, Li Ka-shing had already taken full pages in the newspapers, in Chinese and English, to express her position to the Hong Kong people. His message was hailed for its ambiguity. No one was sure he understood what he meant except that he condemned the violence. He had spoken but did not really take sides and Beijing did not react.
But his recent statements that the young people of Hong Kong were the masters of the future, stressing " the importance of finding a way out ", have been interpreted by a senior Chinese official as an encouragement of crime. Beijing's remonstrances also blame the tycoon for causing the Hong Kong housing crisis.
Li Ka-shing said the remarks were unfortunate, but recalled that at age 91, he had become accustomed to being misunderstood.
Beijing has complex relations with billionaires in Hong Kong who now have many interests in China, but who are far from adhering to the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party.