Tong cited the party's "radical" stance in the past decade as a contributing factor to the unrest, stating that some party members had encouraged violence and suggested that going to jail could be exciting.

He criticized the pan-democracy camp for not considering Beijing as a stakeholder in promoting democracy in Hong Kong, and for not attempting to gain their trust.

Tong also accused one Legislative Council member of not participating in a Greater Bay Area trip in April, instead choosing to run a marathon in the UK.