CHINA warned of “chaos” today if protesters carried through their threat to storm Hong Kong government buildings if the region’s Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying did not resign.

Hundreds demanding democratic electoral reforms swelled the streets of the former British colony, with tension mounting ahead of the midnight deadline for Mr Leung to quit.

“We can’t just sit here forever because we can’t achieve what we want,” said college student Maness Ko.

“We hope to have a direction with actions soon, not just sit here aimlessly.”

But Hong Kong police spokesman Steve Hui told reporters that blocking or occupying government buildings would not be tolerated and would lead to “serious consequences.”

His opposition to storming buildings found some favour among protesters.

“Getting into a confrontation with police doesn’t seem peaceful to me,” said graduate Wilson Yip.

“If they try to force themselves inside and confront police, I don’t see what kind of point that would make. It may make fewer people support the protests.”

Beijing appeared to back the city’s beleaguered chief executive’s position yesterday, with an editorial in flagship Communist Party newspaper People’s Daily accusing the “illegal” Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement of “seriously assaulting Hong Kong’s tradition of rule of law.”

The Occupy protesters reject Beijing’s mooted democratic reforms which would allow universal suffrage for the chief executive election due in 2017 but limit it to three candidates vetted by a pro-government panel.

People’s Daily said this was “placing the political demands of a minority above the law (and) hijacking public opinion in Hong Kong for selfish ends.”

The newspaper argued that its actions were in accordance with “one country, two systems” — where Britain agreed to give up Hong Kong as long as its political and economic system remained unchanged for 50 years.

Mr Yeung has Beijing’s “full confidence,” the paper added.

US Secretary of State John Kerry told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi — who was in Washington — to give the “highest possible degree of autonomy” to Hong Kong and allow protesters to express their views peacefully on Wednesday.

Mr Wang hit back that the protests were “China’s internal affairs” and that no country would allow “illegal acts” against public order.