The central government firmly supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government's administration and Hong Kong police in their strict law enforcement and punishing violent protesters, spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Hua Chunying said on Monday during a daily media briefing.

"How dare some U.S. politicians regard violent acts, attacking police officers using lethal weapons in the HKSAR, as 'peaceful protests'?" Hua said, adding that it is an absolute "double standard" for Western countries to ignore the violent and illegal acts in Hong Kong while cracking down on their own domestic violence. 

Hua also called on all HKSAR residents to unite and protect the Hong Kong they truly love and do not let the "dark clouds and poisonous rain of the U.S. jeopardize the beautiful sunshine and fresh HKSAR air."

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Hua's response comes after Eliot Engel, chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, issued a statement on Friday criticizing the Hong Kong police's handling of recent protests. 

Meanwhile, Yang Guang, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, urged all sectors in Hong Kong to oppose violence and uphold the rule of law at a separate press conference. 

Earlier on Monday, a spokesperson for the HKSAR government condemned the violent acts during an illegal assembly on Sunday, which posed threats to the safety of police and local residents. Police have arrested at least 49 people for offenses including unauthorized assembly and possession of an offensive weapon, he said.