An official from Japan's Consulate General in Hong Kong has urged Japanese firms in the region to be alert to ongoing protests against a controversial extradition bill.
About 200 people, mostly company officials, took part in a seminar held by the Hong Kong Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday.
Mari Takada from the Consulate General told the participants that protesters' demands and methods have expanded from their original grievances over the bill to include resisting police violence.
She warned some protesters may become radicalized depending on the government's response.
Takada said troops and armed police from mainland China are unlikely to be deployed in Hong Kong in the near future, although the possibility of Beijing's intervention cannot be ruled out.
She also referred to the Japanese foreign ministry's issuance of a level-one alert, the lowest on a four-tier scale, for the area last week.
Takada said it is important to gather information, stay away from demonstrations, understand local staff members' views and deal with them in a balanced manner to prevent tempers from flaring on social media.
An official from a manufacturer said that its sales fell on the day the demonstrations took place, and that it will try to collect information to deal with any situations.
About 25,000 Japanese people live in Hong Kong, and over 1,300 Japanese firms operate there.
