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Exclusive: China has doubled troop levels in Hong Kong, envoys estimate

By Greg Torode, James Pomfret, David Lague

 

 

HONG KONG (Reuters) - China has quietly more than doubled its deployment of mainland security forces in Hong Kong, according to foreign envoys and security analysts, in the most dramatic move yet by Beijing to prepare for a potential worsening of unrest in the global financial center.

 

Last month, Beijing moved thousands of troops across the border into this restive city, which has been wracked by protests since June. The state news agency Xinhua described the operation as a routine “rotation” of the low-key force China has kept in Hong Kong since the city’s handover from Britain in 1997.

 

A month on, seven Asian and Western envoys have told Reuters they are certain the late-August deployment was not a rotation at all, but a reinforcement. Three of the envoys said the number of Chinese military personnel in Hong Kong had more than doubled since the anti-government protests began in June. They put the number of Chinese military personnel at 3,000 to 5,000 in the months before the reinforcement, and estimated it was now between 10,000 to 12,000.

 

As a result, the envoys believe, China has now assembled its largest-ever active force of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops and other anti-riot personnel and equipment in Hong Kong.

 

Significantly, five of the diplomats say, the reinforcement includes elements of the People’s Armed Police (PAP), a mainland paramilitary anti-riot and internal security force under a separate command from the PLA. Until now, the presence of the PAP in Hong Kong has not been publicly known.

 

China’s Ministry of National Defense, the State Council Information Office, and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office did not respond to questions from Reuters.

 

The office of Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and the PLA garrison in Hong Kong also did not respond to questions. A Hong Kong police spokesperson told Reuters the police force was “capable of maintaining law and order and determined to restore public safety in Hong Kong.”

 

The protests in the city erupted in response to a move by Lam to propose a now-scrapped bill that would have allowed for the extradition of people from Hong Kong to China. The demonstrations, which at times have turned violent, pose the biggest popular challenge to President Xi Jinping since he came to power in 2012.

 

The reinforcement in Hong Kong includes equipment tailor-made for the quelling of urban violence, including water cannon vehicles and trucks used to lay barbed wire barricades. Reuters reporters have tracked increased activity at many of the PLA’s 17 facilities across Hong Kong, Kowloon and rural New Territories, most of which were inherited under agreement with the departing British forces during the 1997 handover.

 

Some foreign analysts said China’s reinforced military presence was bigger than expected.

 

“They do seem to have an active contingency plan to deal with something like a total breakdown in order by the Hong Kong police,” said Alexander Neill, a Singapore-based security analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

 

An in-depth version of this report can be read here.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-30

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[ExpatOilWorker]

Big flashy military parade in Beijing tomorrow while the riot police is filling the streets of HK with tear gas.

It just feels wrong and reminds me of the time Putin was enjoying his vacation at the Black Sea while Kursk was at the bottom of the sea and sailors were drowning. 

It backfired for Putin and tomorrows shiny parade could backfire for Xi. It is time he stand up and direct address the issue at hand in HK. Not by force, but by dialog.

[sweatalot]

I'm with the protesters but 

I'm aware they are outnumbered.

 

Not another "heavenly peace", please!

[animalmagic]

13 hours ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

Big flashy military parade in Beijing tomorrow while the riot police is filling the streets of HK with tear gas.

Let's hope it's just tear gas!

[wombat]

anyone making book on China using military to take back control tomorrow?

[europeannomad]

More troops in HK means that the Chinazis plan to suppress the rebellion instead of giving HK the desired and contractually promised freedoms. Xis totalitarian regime needs more pressure from the whole world, and the brave protesters more support. I am deeply worried for them and hope that they will be fine and can live in dignity.

[tomazbodner]

Hong Kong protests: Maxim’s Group distances itself from ‘rioters’ comments by founder’s daughter after Sha Tin restaurants targeted

• Annie Wu said protesters did not represent Hong Kong
• In response, food group’s businesses were targeted during Sunday rally in New Town Plaza

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3030225/hong-kong-protests-maxims-group-distances-itself-rioters

 

They are a mob, attacking anyone who disagrees with them. We've seen this movie before. And we saw how it played out, in Thailand of all places.

[IAMHERE]

I understand but also remember Tiananmen Square massacre. Xi has a lifetime job no matter what. Kill a couple hundred thousand in Hong Kong isn't going to dislodge him. Pretty sure Xi will send all Hong Kong to the re-education camps that sorted out the Cultural Revolution types.  Sad but true.

[Nowisee]

1 hour ago, wombat said:

anyone making book on China using military to take back control tomorrow?

It has been reported that CCP has many undercover operatives inside HK that will be working with the PAP.  HK is screwed IMO.  This regime is not going to lose face.

 

1 hour ago, europeannomad said:

More troops in HK means that the Chinazis plan to suppress the rebellion instead of giving HK the desired and contractually promised freedoms. Xis totalitarian regime needs more pressure from the whole world, and the brave protesters more support. I am deeply worried for them and hope that they will be fine and can live in dignity.

I agree.  IF CCP wins this battle, HK is going dark.  The rest of the world is needed here and now, this is a one shot deal.  Good if every country pulls out their citizens, kicked chinese companies off their exchanges and did wide spread immigration sweeps.  Lock down China.   

 

18 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

I understand but also remember Tiananmen Square massacre. Xi has a lifetime job no matter what. Kill a couple hundred thousand in Hong Kong isn't going to dislodge him. Pretty sure Xi will send all Hong Kong to the re-education camps that sorted out the Cultural Revolution types.  Sad but true.

I don't agree.  IF even hundreds are killed, this will be the start of some serious worldly actions.  If ANY foreigners are killed, consider it a economic disaster for the CCP and any further hope of peace.

 

[Morch]

9 hours ago, rhyddid said:

Well done China, there are a lot of 'foreign' sponsored trouble makers, fueling riots, catch them and bring peace and stability back to HK !

 

Other than you claiming so - any actual support for that "lot of foreign sponsored trouble makers" bit?

[NokNokJoke]

About as much proof as the protesters have that any act they want to appear to distance themselves from, was conducted by mainland China operatives.

The levels of disinformation from both sides are out of control.

 
Other than you claiming so - any actual support for that "lot of foreign sponsored trouble makers" bit?

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Morch]

8 minutes ago, NokNokJoke said:

About as much proof as the protesters have that any act they want to appear to distance themselves from, was conducted by mainland China operatives.

The levels of disinformation from both sides are out of control.

 

Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

 

 

I think that, at least on these topic on this forum, the claim that protests are sponsored by outsiders is far more common. Asserting that the protesters usage of propaganda and disinformation can match China's is tantamount to making the original claim.