China Calls for Tough Security Laws to End Hong Kong Turmoil

The call — likely to further inflame protesters angry with a police response seen as heavy-handed — came in a lengthy statement issued late Saturday by the head of the Chinese government department that oversees Hong Kong.

The statement by Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, acknowledged that governance in the semi-autonomous city must be improved, saying factors such as high housing costs and a growing wealth gap had contributed to the unrest.