Reactions to the 2014 Hong Kong protests

[11] While the business groups have expressed concern over the disruption caused to their members,[12][13] the city's wealthiest people have remained fairly quiet because they faced the dilemma of losing the patronage of CPC leadership while trying to avoid further escalation by refraining from overt condemnations of the movement.

[22][23][24] UK Prime Minister David Cameron expressed deep concern about clashes in Hong Kong and said he felt an obligation to the former territory.

[28][29] Former Hong Kong Governor and current Chancellor of the University of Oxford Chris Patten expressed support for the protests[30] and denounced the Iranian-style democratic model of the city.

The ministry also said Canada "reiterates its support for the implementation of universal suffrage for the election of the Chief Executive in 2017 and all members of the Legislative Council in 2020, in accordance with the Basic Law and the democratic aspirations of the Hong Kong people",[45] France – The French Foreign Ministry stated it was "closely following" street demonstrations in Hong Kong and stressed the protesters' right to march peacefully.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Romain Nadal told a news conference, "We are closely following the evolution of the situation and we reiterate our attachment to the right to demonstrate peacefully".

[48] At a reunification party in Leipzig, German president Joachim Gauck compared the spirit of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters to their own of 24 years ago.

[50] Italy – The Italian Foreign Ministry declared its hope that "the local and Chinese authorities, in the face of the peaceful demands of many young people and citizens, show wisdom and listening skills."

[53][54][55][56] US President Barack Obama told Wang Yi the United States was watching the protests in Hong Kong closely and urged a peaceful solution to the issue.

[60] While the local pan-democrats and the majority of the Western press supported the protesters' aspirations for universal suffrage, Martin Jacques, writing for The Guardian, said China had "overwhelmingly honoured its commitment to the principle of one country, two systems".

Criticising politicians' and the media's interpretation of the agreements and undertakings of China, Summer said, "all the Joint Declaration said is that the chief executive will be 'appointed by the central people's government on the basis of the results of elections or consultations to be held locally [in Hong Kong]'.

Britain's role as co-signatory of that agreement gives it no legal basis for complaint on this particular point, and the lack of democracy for the executive branch before 1997 leaves it little moral high ground either.

Benny Tai and Chan Kin-man left because of exhaustion from trying to exert a moderating influence on the more radical members of HKFS and on hardline groups.