Chinese President Xi Jinping told beleaguered Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Monday that she had Beijing's "unwavering support" despite another huge pro-democracy rally earlier this month and her government's thrashing at recent local elections.

The city has been upended by six months of massive pro-democracy protests that have seen violent battles between police and hardcore demonstrators, as well as regular transport disruption.

Protesters have called for the unpopular Lam to stand down as leader, but she received the backing of China's leadership during a visit to Beijing on Monday.

"The central government fully recognises the courage and sense of responsibility you have demonstrated in such an exceptional period in Hong Kong," Xi told Lam at the imposing Great Hall of the People.

"We will continue to provide unwavering support for you to lead the SAR (special administrative region) administration to govern according to the law," Xi said.

Lam thanked Xi for his concern for the city's situation, "for his guidance for us, and for the trust and support for the SAR government and me to handle such a big crisis".

Lam met earlier with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, who said her government had "tried its best to maintain social stability" amid "an unprecedentedly severe and complicated situation".

But he also called for the Hong Kong government to "step up studies of the deep-seated conflicts and problems that hinder Hong Kong's economic and social development" in order to restore calm to the city.

"Hong Kong is yet to get out of its plight. The SAR government must continue its hard work, stop violence and subdue chaos according to laws and restore order," Li told Lam.

- Xi's 'understanding' -

At a press conference held in Beijing after the meetings, Lam said that the "unprecedented" current situation in Hong Kong this year meant she had to spend "a bit more time to give (the leaders) an account of where things stand".

"But I feel encouraged by President Xi's understanding of the pressure I have been subject to in the past six months and his recognition of my sense of responsibility and the level of courage I have demonstrated," she said.

The semi-autonomous city is ruled under the "one country, two systems" principle, which gives the territory rights unseen on mainland China -- rights protestors say are steadily being eroded.

The past month had seen a lull in the violence and vandalism in the city after pro-democracy parties won a landslide in local council elections.

A week ago, around 800,000 people marched peacefully through the city's streets, urging the government to respond to their five demands -- which include an independent inquiry into the police, an amnesty for those arrested, and fully free elections.

But public anger remains as Beijing and Lam show no sign of further concessions despite the election result.

This weekend the relative calm was broken by clashes between black-clad pro-democracy protesters and Hong Kong police in some of the city's shopping malls.

And last week an international panel of experts hired to advise Hong Kong on the police response to protests announced they were quitting, saying the watchdog was not fit for purpose "in a society that values freedoms and rights".

Chinese police confirm Hong Kong cross-border bridge arrests
Hong Kong (AFP) Dec 16, 2019 - China announced Monday they have arrested more than one person at a temporary police checkpoint on a mega cross-border bridge, including a Hong Konger who was reported missing over the weekend by his family.

It is the first time mainland officers have confirmed arrests on the artificial island that connects an enormous tunnel and bridge system linking Hong Kong to the cities of Macau and Zhuhai on the other side of the Pearl River Delta.

The man's son told local media Saturday that after his father had texted to say he was being detained at a mainland police checkpoint he had been unable to find out what happened and had filed a missing person case with Hong Kong officers.

On Monday, police in China's Guangdong province confirmed the man's detention.

On their official social media account, the force said the man -- surnamed Chung -- was one of an undisclosed number of wanted criminals detained since the island checkpoint was set up on December 10.

The 53-year-old was wanted by Shenzhen Airport customs authority over a mobile phone smuggling case from seven year ago, police added.

"Since the force started to conduct security checks on individuals and vehicles going to Macau and Zhuhai via the bridge from Hong Kong, they have found a number of criminal suspects at large," Guangdong police said in its announcement.

The man's son -- who requested anonymity -- confirmed to AFP that the identifying details given by Guangdong police matched his father's. He added his family were not aware of the alleged smuggling offences.

China's apprehension of Hong Kongers is a controversial subject.

Semi-autonomous Hong Kong has been engulfed by six months of increasingly violent pro-democracy protests.

They were initially sparked by a now abandoned attempt to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland but have since morphed into a popular revolt against Beijing's rule amid spiralling fears that the city is losing some of its unique liberties.

The multi-billion dollar cross-border bridge opened in 2018.

Usually there are no extra security checks on the artificial island -- which lies within China's mainland jurisdiction -- and vehicles pass straight through.

But a checkpoint appeared earlier this month as Macau prepares to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its handover to China next Friday -- an event President Xi Jinping will attend.

AFP reporters passed through the checkpoint last Wednesday.

It was manned by dozens of heavily armed SWAT officers, and bus passengers had their luggage, faces and identity documents screened.

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