HONG KONG, July 31 -- Tung Chee-hwa, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said here Wednesday that continuous turmoil and violence have severely damaged Hong Kong's rule of law and business environment, while also spoiling the confidence of the international community in Hong Kong and even the relationship between the mainland and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

At a lunch meeting organized by Our Hong Kong Foundation, a think tank he founded and chairs, Tung said that he believed there might be foreign forces behind the storm, given the scale of the protests and the savvy way they have been organized.

Some foreign politicians, those anti-China elements in particular, have always harbored the ulterior motives of turning Hong Kong into a battle field to damage the relationship between the mainland and the SAR.

"Hong Kongers shall by no means be used by them," said the former chief executive of the SAR.

He was confident that Hong Kong people will support the SAR government and the police in upholding the rule of law and taking decisive measures to restore social order.

Tung said that there should be no compromise with those "black sheep" who disrupted Hong Kong's social order and attempted to tear Hong Kong apart.

He urged the SAR government to swiftly tackle long-standing social issues and firmly uphold the principles of "one country, two systems," "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy.

Tung called on Hong Kong people to maintain confidence in Hong Kong and the whole country.

Should we keep our confidence, inclusiveness and perseverance, Hong Kong people, with our wit and courage, can definitely ride the waves forward towards long-term stability and prosperity, said Tung.