Thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong's financial district today, resuming pro-democracy protests after the government called off talks with student leaders.

Beijing's Foreign Ministry condemned the fresh rally, with spokesperson Hong Lei saying, "China's central government is opposed to the illegal activities taking place in Hong Kong."

The Chinese government also took the opportunity to reiterate its unconditional support for the Hong Kong government in the face of the protests, which have paralysed large parts of the territory in recent weeks.

Protest leaders urged the local government to immediately resume talks and to adopt the definition of universal suffrage in the the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which says elections should be free from unreasonable restrictions.

"The central government says Hong Kong leaders must love China and love Hong Kong. How is that democracy?" one protester said.

"We are very disappointed in the government for cancelling talks," protester David Man, 15, told dpa .

"It was a good chance to find a solution and cancelling them only brought more people onto the streets. I plan on protesting for as long as it takes."

Jessica So, 53, said people will leave Hong Kong if the city loses its high degree of autonomy. "Hong Kong was supposed to remain unchanged for 50 years, but the way the government stubbornly refused to speak with the people is Communist Party style. I wouldn't have guessed these political changes would come so soon."

Seventeen-year-old student leader Joshua Wong asked German Chancellor Angela Merkel for support, telling German tabloid Bild that "only when Germany, Europe and the entire world put pressure on China and show solidarity with us will our protests will have a chance."

Started to wind down

Protests had started to wind down Wednesday, after blocking parts of the city for two weeks amid demands that Beijing lift restrictions on candidates for Hong Kong's next political chief executive in 2017.

Talks with authorities were planned for today, but Chief Secretary Carrie Lam called them off the previous evening, after protest leaders urged a rally to increase pressure during the meeting.

The demonstrators' demands and methods were "sacrificing public good for their political demands and is against public interests and political ethics," she said.

The Hong Kong Federation of Students last night accused the government of "never having any sincerity to face the concerns of the Hong Kong people."

Democratic legislators vowed yesterday they would impeach the city's leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, after a report from Australian Fairfax Media group said he received millions of dollars in a secret deal with an Australian engineering firm.

Labour Party lawmaker Cyd Ho said: "Apart from his duties as chief executive, Leung was also serving the needs of another company. This is a serious of conflict of interest."

Sydney-based UGL paid A$7 million (US$6.15 million) to the politician in 2012 and 2013 in exchange for his support of an initiative in Asia, the report said.

UGL had acquired DTZ Holdings and relied on Leung, one of the insolvent British property services company's former directors, for contacts in Hong Kong and mainland China, Fairfax Media said.

Leung defended not having declared the payments on his register of personal interests when approached about the payments under a deal he entered into in 2011, before he was appointed, the report said.

Leung's office noted that the deal was entered into after he resigned as DTZ's director and before he was appointed as the top official in Hong Kong.

- dpa