Daredevil Alain Robert – dubbed the ’French Spiderman’ – climbed a Hong Kong skyscraper on Friday and unfurled a "peace banner" as the financial hub is rocked by historic political unrest.

The 57-year-old adventurer, who specialises in unsanctioned ascents of tall buildings, shimmied up the 68-storey Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong’s main business district in hot and humid conditions on Friday morning.

During the climb he attached a banner featuring the Hong Kong and Chinese flags, as well as two hands shaking.

Prior to the ascent Robert put out a statement saying the message of his climb was to make "an urgent appeal for peace and consultation between Hong Kong people and their government".

"Perhaps what I do can lower the temperature and maybe raise a smile. That’s my hope anyway," Robert said in his media statement.

But many were unimpressed.