Hong Kong's last British governor, Chris Patten, has hit back at his Beijing critics who accuse him of trying to "devastate the city" in the wake of months-long pro-democracy protests.
In a wide-ranging interview with the ABC's The World program, Lord Patten said the accusations were, "so preposterous that nobody of any intelligence should give it any credence".
He also criticised other "absurd arguments" made in China's state media about Hong Kong's history and the current unrest, including allegations the Chinese Communist Party gave the city democracy, and claims that foreign powers have helped organise the protests.
Here's some of what Lord Patten had to say.
末任港督彭定康：中国实际已放弃《中英联合声明》
中国外交部称《中英联合声明》作为历史文件，不再具有任何现实意义。但末任港督彭定康说，如果他说“租赁香港的条约不再适用，只是历史文件”则会激怒北京。他说，中国政府习惯认为“国际协议是别人需要遵守的，不是中国需要遵守的”。