There have been scuffles in Hong Kong, as police stop pro-democracy protesters approaching a visiting Chinese official.

Now Zhang is too embarrassed and has no guts to see us because the current and past Hong Kong leaders do not listen to the people and the whole system is corrupt

Many of them carrying yellow umbrellas, the symbol of the 2014 Occupy democracy protests.

The visit by Zhang Dejiang is the first by a senior Chinese figure since that action.

“Now Zhang is too embarrassed and has no guts to see us because the current and past Hong Kong leaders do not listen to the people and the whole system is corrupt,” said Tsang Kin-Shing, a political activist.

“So Hong Kong people are very clear about this – we want universal suffrage and a different chief executive.“l

The protesters left peacefully on Tuesday evening, but vowed to return.

Touching down in Hong Kong, Zhang had said that he would listen to all sectors of society.

But demonstrators claim the tight security has meant there’s been no chance for him to hear their voices.

In the wake of the unsuccessful Occupy demonstrations, a handful of activists have been calling for an outright breakaway from China.

It is a move some say would put Hong Kong’s economic and political future in jeopardy.