Chinese people from all walks of life have voiced their strong denouncement and opposition against the illegal gatherings of the Occupy Central movement in Hong Kong over these days.

The Occupy Central movement has seriously affected the social order in Hong Kong and runs counter to the rule of law, said Beijing citizen Zhao Qing.

“Organizers of the movement just holds the interests of all Hong Kong people as hostage for personal good of a handful of people, which are very despicable,” Zhao said.

Prof. Chen Duanhong, with the Law School of the Peking University, said that the Occupy Central organizers, out of certain political purposes, are using the rhetoric such as “civil disobedience” as a disguise to instigate people to trample on the law.

Victor Zhikai Gao, a director of China National Association for International Studies, told Xinhua that he believes that the current movement, including illegal blocking of traffic and serious disturbance to citizens’ daily life, is “obviously off limits to a peaceful and legitimate exercise of citizens’ rights.”

“Democracy must be built on the basis of rule of law, and democratic rights should also be practiced by lawful means. What the Occupy Central protesters are doing is trying to ask for their so-called ‘democracy’ by measures to undermine the rule of law, a ridiculous paradox,” he said.

Gao said he has confidence in the Hong Kong government’s proper handling the situation.

The ongoing protests have affected the city’s business and tourism. Wang Luguo, a businessman in neighboring Guangdong province, told Xinhua that companies would have to stop doing business in Hong Kong if the protest continued.

“For our own profits, we have to minimize the damage. We will have to stop exporting and importing goods via Hong Kong,” said Wang, who has done such trades between Hong Kong and Guangdong for years.

“As an export-oriented economy, Hong Kong needs stable and safe market environment,” he said. “Who is gonna pay the price for current situations? I think ordinary Hong Kong residents and businesses will pay at last.”

Lin Dan, a community leader of southeastern Chinese city of Fuzhou, said his neighbors are worrying about the security in Hong Kong and have canceled their holiday travel plans.

“We have been following what happened in Hong Kong on news. Many of us thought such things should not have happened. Hong Kong people should trust the central government,” Lin said. “I hope those taking part in the protest will come to their sense shortly.”

Li Zhensheng is a villager from Rongzhong village in southeast China’s Fujian province, where many families have relatives in Hong Kong. “We are angry about the protest. Hong Kong is a free society but should have rules.”

“The Occupy Central movement is obviously manipulated by certain political forces,” said Zhang Nianchi, director of the Shanghai Institute for East Asian Studies, “I believe most Hong Kong people, including young students, will not be used by these forces. I hope they can tell the right from wrong and value the interests of the whole Hong Kong society.”

Since the policy of “One Country, Two Systems”, a great creation of the Chinese, was implemented in Hong Kong 17 years ago, the city has been one of the best business hubs in the world, said Zhou Hanmin, a national political adviser based in Shanghai.

“Hong Kong people and its economy will be the first to suffer from the current unrest. Any places with close business links with Hong Kong would not like to see it,” he said.

To realize the universal suffrage smoothly, Hong Kong should work with the central government and rely on joint efforts of all Hong Kong people, he said.