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Phoebe Zhang

A convoy of armed police trucks has been stationed at a sports centre in a mainland Chinese city bordering Hong Kong, adding to speculation online that Beijing could be preparing to intervene directly in the protests roiling the special administrative region.
But a Beijing-based military expert said the movements were part of regular exercises and not cause for concern.
Footage of the trucks rolling into Shenzhen in the southern province of Guangdong began circulating online on Saturday.
On Monday, Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily and Global Times posted videos of the convoy in the city, saying the police were there to prepare for large-scale drills.

In video: Chinese armed police armored vehicle fleet is prepared for a drill in Shenzhen, S China's Guangdong province. pic.twitter.com/bU4IxhaM0s
— People's Daily, China (@PDChina) August 12, 2019

Dozens of the trucks as well as excavators lined a pavement next to the entrance of the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre in Nanshan district on Monday, across the harbour from Hong Kong.
Personnel in camouflage uniforms stood at the entrances of the sports centre, but did not block access to civilians.
Asked whether they were in Shenzhen for a drill and what time they had arrived, the personnel shook their heads and said nothing.
Also on Monday, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office released a stern statement, calling attacks on police “signs of terrorism”.
Online, internet users speculated that the armed presence was a show of power to Hong Kong.

“They are just waiting for an order before they’ll drive to Hong Kong to calm the riots. We hope the armed forces can enter Hong Kong and beat the hell out of these idiotic youth,” one commenter said on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform.
Beijing-based military specialist Zhou Chenming said that the armed police were taking part in regular drills and that people should not feel nervous.
“The central government has repeatedly stated it will only interfere if there are large-scale riots and the Hong Kong government has applied voluntarily for support,” Zhou said.
Hong Kong policeman filmed aiming gun at protesters hailed as a hero by Chinese state media
“If the situation does not reach that point, then this is only a deterrence measure, to deter these [small group of people] from stepping over the line.”
Dixon Sing Ming, a political-science professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said the move was a “psychological warfare tactic”.
“The drill is part and parcel of a well-coordinated attempt by Beijing to pressure the protesters and the general public to give up their five demands, including the one for universal suffrage immediately,” Sing said.
Hong Kong has been engulfed in protests since early June, at first to oppose the now-shelved extradition bill that would have allowed Hong Kong to send suspects to other jurisdictions, including mainland China.
Chinese police mass 12,000 anti-riot officers in Shenzhen for drill
But protesters now have five demands, including a complete withdrawal of the extradition bill and an independent investigation into the police’s use of force in handling the protests.
As the confrontations have escalated, public opinion in the mainland has grown steadily tougher, with many calling for more stern measures to restore order.
On August 6, 12,000 police officers gathered in Shenzhen for a drill, which included anti-riot measures similar to those seen on the streets of Hong Kong.
Although the police said the drill was part of security preparations for the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic on October 1, internet users saw it as a show of power and warning to Hong Kong.


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Hong Kong protests

Chinese armed police truck convoy rolls into Shenzhen as Hong Kong enters another week of protests

Dozens of trucks line a street next to the entrance of the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre in Shenzhen on Monday. Photo: SCMP

Post reporter saw that trucks and green excavators were lined up along a sidewalk next to the entrance of the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Nanshan district, which is situated next to the harbour and just over 10 kilometers in direct distance to Tuen Mun. Photo: SCMP/Phoebe Zhang

Beijing warns of ‘signs of terrorism’ in violent unrest in Hong Kong

Riot police run towards anti-government protesters in Sham Shui Po during another day of clashes across Hong Kong on Sunday. Photo: Felix Wong

HKMAO spokesman Yang Guang speaks to HK media Monday afternoon. Photo: Weibo

Hong Kong policeman filmed aiming gun at protesters hailed as a hero by Chinese state media

The officer faced intense criticism for aiming a gun directly at protesters. Photo: Reuters

A mob of men in white T-shirts attacked black-clad protesters and passengers on a late night after protesters were returning home at the Yuen Long MTR Station. SCMP Pictures(UNDATED HANDOUT)

epa07757900 Anti-extradition protesters clash with police in Wong Tai Shin area in Hong Kong, China, 05 August 2019. Hong Kong is in the midst of a day of citywide strike following a ninth consecutive weekend of multiple anti-extradition rallies and intense clashes between demonstrators and police over the now suspended extradition bill to China. EPA-EFE/JEROME FAVRE

Chinese police mass 12,000 anti-riot officers in Shenzhen for drill

Shenzhen police broadcast live footage of a security exercise involving 12,000 officers rehearsing anti-riot drills. Photo: Weibo

Shenzhen public security bureau livestreamed a video of 12,000 police rehearsing an anti-riot drill yesterday, apparently in preparation for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. Some Weibo commenters see it as a message to Hong Kong. Photo:Weibo

Cathay Pacific threatens staff with sack after Beijing draws line on Hong Kong protests

Cathay Pacific moved over the weekend to comply with new orders from China’s aviation authority. Photo: Bloomberg

Anti-extradition bill demonstrators attend a protest at the arrival hall of Hong Kong Airport, China, August 10, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato

In Hong Kong, neither Beijing nor pro-establishment politicians are even pretending Carrie Lam is still in charge

Maria Tam, of the Basic Law Committee, speaks to reporters in Shenzhen on recent events in Hong Kong. Tam’s remarks, explaining what the Hong Kong government will do to address public concerns, may have only underscored Carrie Lam’s impotence. Photo: Winson Wong

(190723) -- HONG KONG, July 23, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), speaks when meeting the press in Hong Kong, south China, July 22, 2019. The Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR will as always firmly fulfill its duties as empowered by the central government and support the HKSAR government in its effective administration in accordance with the law, Wang Zhimin said on Monday. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

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State media says presence is part of preparations for major drill, but analyst calls it a ‘psychological warfare tactic’
Fears that the armed presence was a show of power to Hong Kong



State media says the presence is part of preparations for a major drill, but an analyst calls it a ‘psychological warfare tactic’.


Chinese armed police truck convoy rolls into Shenzhen as Hong Kong enters another week of protests

State media says presence is part of preparations for major drill, but analyst calls it a ‘psychological warfare tactic’ Fears that the armed presence was a show of power to Hong Kong

State media says presence is part of preparations for major drill, but analyst calls it a ‘psychological warfare tactic’

Fears that the armed presence was a show of power to Hong Kong