Beijing

CHINA'S president on Friday heaped praise on Hong Kong's embattled leader Leung Chun-ying as they met in Beijing, commending him for maintaining "stability" in 2014, a year marked by massive pro-democracy protests.

Beijing refused to give concessions to demonstrators who held rallies in Hong Kong for more than two months demanding free leadership elections for the semi-autonomous city, and police cleared the last of their sprawling protest camps on De 15.