Hong Kong student leaders Wednesday said they may not take part in further talks with the government after accusing city authorities of failing to make any meaningful offers to end weeks of mass rallies.
The comments are a blow to the city's Beijing-backed leaders who had expressed hopes for fresh rounds of talks after meeting face-to-face with students on Tuesday night for the first time.
The negotiations are widely seen as the only way to end nearly a month of protests calling for full democracy in the southern Chinese city without a police crackdown or further violence.
But the first formal talks on Tuesday night made little headway with students calling the government "vague" in its commitment to finding a genuine compromise.
PHOTO GALLERY: THIS ISN'T HONG KONG AS YOU KNOW IT
"About whether there will be talks in the future this is something that isn't decided," Hong Kong Federation of Students secretary general Alex Chow told reporters Wednesday morning.
"The government has to come up with some way to solve this problem, but what they are offering does not have any practical content," Chow said, adding protesters will not leave the streets any time soon.
Protesters plan to march from their main camp to the residence of Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying.
Both sides are at loggerheads over how the city's next leader should be chosen. Protesters want to nominate and vote for candidates in 2017.
But Beijing ruled in August that only those vetted by a loyalist committee would be allowed to stand -- something protesters dismiss as "fake democracy".
During talks, government negotiators insisted Beijing would never agree to civil nomination.
But they made a series conciliatory offers including a promise to brief mainland officials on recent events and suggesting both sides could set up a "platform" to discuss further political reform beyond 2017.
Student leaders remain unimpressed, saying the government has offered nothing concrete.
They called on officials to give a clearer indication of what their proposals actually entail.
"The government should, as soon as possible by the end of this week, say what the report (to Beijing) would include and detail how the new platform can really solve the problems we have now," Joshua Wong, leader of student movement Scholarism told reporters.
Observers hope the talks, which were abruptly cancelled earlier this month and then resurrected after recent outbreaks of violence between protesters and police, will help find some sort of face-saving compromise for both sides.
If talks are abandoned, many fear a return to violent scuffles seen late last week that saw dozens injured after protesters battled with police as they tried to clear barricades.
AFP
Wed Oct 22 2014
The comments are a blow to the city's Beijing-backed leaders who had expressed hopes for fresh rounds of talks after meeting face-to-face with students on Tuesday night for the first time. - File Photo
PDRM gerak unit skuba forensik, K9 cari telefon, rantai Nur Farah Kartini hari ini
Proses mencari bahan bukti akan dimulakan sekitar jam 9 pagi di kawasan parit berhampiran ladang kelapa sawit berkenaan.
Bangkai pesawat MH17 tanpa sayap imbau kekejaman tragedi menyayat hati
Keadaan serpihan pesawat MH17 Malaysia Airlines (MAS) yang cuba dibina semula tanpa sayap, tayar, ekor dan tempat duduk penumpang cukup menggerunkan sekali gus mengingatkan pada kekejaman yang meragut
VOP akan diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan - Ahmad
Pelaksanaan Syarat Perubahan Harga (VOP) susulan penyasaran subsidi diesel dijangka diselesaikan dalam tempoh sebulan lagi, kata Timbalan Menteri Kerja Raya Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.
Industri minyak sawit disaran guna semula sisa untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan - Liew
Industri minyak sawit perlu mengkaji penggunaan semula sisa sebagai stok suapan penting untuk bahan api penerbangan mampan (SAF), di luar penggunaan tradisional minyak sawit.
SDG: UTP lahir pelajar berkemahiran, tinggi tanggungjawab sosial
UTP berhasrat mendidik pelajar bukan sahaja untuk mahir dalam aspek teknikal tetapi juga untuk menjadi warganegara yang bertanggungjawab.
MAA semak semula unjuran jualan kenderaan 2024 kepada 765,000 unit
Persatuan Automotif Malaysia (MAA) telah menyemak semula unjuran jualan kenderaan bermotor baharu bagi 2024 kepada 765,000 unit daripada anggaran sebelumnya sebanyak 740,000 unit.
RUU 355: Pindaan perlu untuk praktikaliti, keadilan
Apa sahaja pindaan terhadap akta itu perlu berjalan selari dengan persediaan mereka yang bertanggungjawab melaksanakannya.
Rasionalisasi RON95 dijangka beri impak lebih besar kepada PKS - SAMENTA
SAMENTA menjangkakan rasionalisasi RON95 akan memberi impak yang lebih besar kepada perusahaan kecil dan sederhana (PKS) berbanding pelarasan subsidi diesel.
Malaysia sasar pengeluaran 40 peratus sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030
Malaysia menyasarkan pengeluaran 40 peratus hasil sektor akuakultur menjelang 2030 dalam usaha membantu mengimbangi keperluan perikanan negara.
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
India kekal negara paling ramai penduduk abad ini - PBB
India dijangka kekal sebagai negara paling ramai penduduk di dunia dan berdepan tekanan ekonomi dan alam sekitar.
Ukraine boleh bergantung kepada NATO untuk jangka panjang - Ketua NATO
Ketua NATO itu berkata, pihaknya bersetuju bahawa sokongan China dalam konflik ini akan memberi kesan kepada kepentingan dan reputasinya.
Xiaohongshu dinilai US$17 bilion, platform sosial China paling pantas berkembang
Ia menawarkan bentuk paparan grid dan mengabungkan perkongsian gambar dan video.
Malaysia catat 438 penerbangan mingguan dari China
Jumlah penerbangan mingguan dari China ke Kuala Lumpur mencecah 438 penerbangan dan dijangka terus meningkat tahun ini, kata Ketua Pengarah Tourism Malaysia P. Manoharan.
Xi Jinping seru SCO berwaspada terhadap ancaman berbaur Perang Dingin
Presiden China, Xi Jinping menyeru negara anggota Pertubuhan Kerjasama Shanghai (SCO) berwaspada terhadap ancaman yang berbaur Perang Dingin.
China sokong usaha Kazakhstan untuk sertai BRICS
Pengumuman dibuat dalam satu kenyataan bersama selepas pertemuan antara Presiden Xi Jinping dan Presiden Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
OpenAI bakal tinggalkan China, syarikat AI lain mungkin menyusul
OpenAI mengeluarkan kenyataan mengatakan bahawa mereka akan meninggalkan pasaran China pada 9 Julai ini.
Aplikasi SuperApp untuk rujukan pemaju hartanah dan pembeli menjelang tahun depan - KPKT
Aplikasi SuperApp menyediakan berbagai layanan dalam satu platform, dijangka dilancarkan tahun depan.
China, Filipina setuju teruskan dialog mengenai Laut China Selatan
China dan Filipina mengadakan mesyuarat kesembilan berhubung Mekanisme Perundingan Dua Hala (BCM) di Laut China Selatan.
BAJC: China lebur impian Malaysia ke pentas final
Impian skuad negara untuk pertama kali mara ke final Kejohanan Badminton Remaja Asia (BAJC) 2024 lebur apabila tewas 1-3 kepada China.