Chinese President Xi Jinping has warned that any efforts to divide the country will end in "crushed bodies and shattered bones".

Amid ongoing protests in Hong Kong, the leader had stern words for those believing China's regime might falter.

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV quoted him as saying: "Anyone attempting to split China in any part of the country will end in crushed bodies and shuttered bones - and any external forces backing such attempts dividing China will be deemed by the Chinese people as pipe-dreaming!"

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Mr Xi is said to have made the comments during a meeting with Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, where they discussed expanding a railway link between the Himalayan nation and Tibet.

Their summit marked the first time a Chinese president had visited Nepal for 22 years.


It came amid growing international pressure over the increasingly violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, with police having used water cannon, rubber bullets and tear gas.

The demonstrations have been going on for four months, with people angry at what they see as an encroachment by the Chinese regime on their freedom and Hong Kong's special status.

Western governments have spoken out against any violence, with Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab saying the UK "won't look the other way" when protesters are beaten.

US President Donald Trump has said it would be difficult to negotiate with China if anything "bad" happens with its handling of the protests.

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Aside from Hong Kong, China remains embroiled in a trade war with the US.

While Mr Trump announced last week the two countries had reached a "substantial" phase one trade agreement covering intellectual property, financial services and large agricultural purchases, the dispute is not over.

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The conflict between the world's two largest economies has been going on for 15 months.

Washington last week also blacklisted 28 Chinese companies over the treatment of predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities by the Chinese government.

Beijing has faced growing condemnation for what it calls "re-education and training centres" in the Xinjiang region, which activists say are actually detention camps holding more than one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims.