Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said today it is important to resolve the ongoing pro-democracy protests by thousands in Hong Kong peacefully.

"Obviously, we're watching the situation closely. It's very important that the situation be resolved through peaceful discussion," Lew told "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos, adding that he believed the message had been communicated to the Chinese government.

5 Key Questions About Hong Kong Answered

"I think that there have been conversations through our national security channels. The president dropped by when the foreign minister was visiting just last week at the White House," Lew said. "And I think we all need to send the same message. It's important this be resolved through discussion and peaceful discussion."

Stephanopoulos also asked Lew about the hacking incident linked to JP Morgan Chase earlier this year that affected tens of millions of American households' personal information. Lew declined to comment specifically and would not confirm reports of involvement by the Russian government.

"We have a lot of concerns about the sources of attacks because there are many different sources. But I'm not going to comment on the specifics in JPMorgan," he said.

During his interview on "This Week," Lew was asked about the tax exempt status of the NFL. He acknowledged he had followed the domestic violence problems plaguing the league, but said he has not focused the league's tax-exempt status.

"So I will say that I've, like everyone else, paid attention to what's been going on in the NFL recently. I haven't paid attention to their tax status. So I can't comment specifically on it," Lew said.

"I think that what clearly is in order is to do some soul-searching about some of the things going on," he added.

Lew's comments come as some lawmakers in Washington have proposed legislation that would strip the NFL of its tax exempt status.

Jack Lew on "This Week"