Riot gear for Guangzhou’s feared urban security officers

Guangzhou officials have defended the city's decision to outfit a controversial urban security force with body armour as a necessary action to protect them from violent attacks by street hawkers.

Guangzhou Vice-Mayor Xie Xiaodan said the new equipment, which includes riot helmets, full-body shields and knife-proof vests, was not intended to intimidate, as some residents have charged.

"I don't agree with the criticism that this is a backtrack," Xie said at a press conference on Thursday. "None of this gear is for offensive purposes, but rather is defensive in nature."

The Guangzhou move comes amid simmering public anger across the country over a series of violent incidents involving urban management officers, known as chengguan in Putonghua.

The officers, who enforce local health, safety and sanitation laws, have been accused across the mainland of thuggery and corruption.

Last month, six urban management officers were detained in Hunan's Linwu county for the beating death of a local watermelon vendor.

Many Guangzhou residents say the body armour suggests the urban management force is preparing for more confrontation with the public, not less. The equipment includes heat-resistant gloves, cameras and encrypted radio transmitters.