The Special Administrative Region's first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa says he is worried about the current situation, but he hopes the Occupy movement leaves the streets, before it causes damage that goes "beyond imagination."

Protests on the streets of Hong Kong have dragged on for almost a month.

Tung Chee-hwa, who is also vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, calls on protesters to end the occupation, as Hong Kong will be hurt deeply if it continues.

"I'd like to hope that the students will come back to the table. Certainly I think the door is open on the other side. The most important thing now is that we need to end this occupation, because not only is it hurting the livelihoods of many people, but it's a violation of the law, which needs to be stopped."

He notes that during the past few weeks, bookings at local hotels have plunged by 20 to 30 per cent, while overall credit-card spending has dropped by similar proportions in Hong Kong.

"It's the fourth quarter when companies start deliberating pay raises and hiring. In the light of uncertainty arising from the Occupy Central movement, they may wait and see. Foreign companies may also hold back their decisions to set up offices and make investments in Hong Kong."

Tung Chee-hwa reiterates that there can be no deviation from the framework set out by Beijing for the chief executive elections in 2017.

"You should understand that the public nomination of candidates for the 2017 chief executive election goes against the Basic Law and the decision of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. It can't be achieved."

He goes on to say that Beijing's plan will allow Hong Kong to have "genuine democracy", which can be achieved without 'public nomination'.

Tung Chee-hwa says he is glad that government officials and student representatives had a talk earlier this week, and he hopes the dialogue can continue.

"In civilized societies, conflicts are resolved through dialogue, not in the streets. Students should not use the occupation as a bargaining chip for negotiations with the government."

This is the second press conference by Tung Chee-hwa since the Occupy movement started late last month.

He has rarely made public appearances since stepping down as the city's leader in 2005.

On Sunday, protesters will vote on whether the Federation of Students should accept proposals put forward by the government to defuse the political crisis, such as creating a platform for dialogue on constitutional development after 2017.

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