HONG KONG (REUTERS) - Hong Kong student leaders urged more people to join their fight for greater democracy after the government called off talks aimed at defusing a political crisis in the Chinese-controlled city.

Alex Chow, leader of the Hong Kong Federation of Students, called for people to continue the occupation of the city after numbers dwindled to the hundreds from tens of thousands at the peak last week.

He was speaking after Chief Secretary Carrie Lam, the city's No 2 government official, called off talks with his group on the eve of the planned dialogue, saying it was impossible to have a constructive dialogue.