Hong Kong to ban drones as part of security blanket for Xi Jinping’s visit to mark 25th anniversary of handover
- Other measures include multiple patrol posts lining perimeter of West Kowloon railway station and road closures near Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
- Chinese leader expected to arrive on Thursday and be ushered into bulletproof limousine indoors
The force on Tuesday said that while the threat level remained “moderate”, the ban on drones was made after a “strict risk assessment” that took into consideration the practice of overseas authorities, technological advances with the aircraft and their use in carrying out a potential attack.
Assistant Police Commissioner for Operations Lui Kam-ho also warned that authorities would not allow any acts of violence or public disorder.
“We will not tolerate anything that may interfere and undermine the security operation in any event [or] that any person behaves in a manner that threatens life or property and undermines public order or endangers public safety,” he said. “We will take resolute action.”
Xi is expected to arrive on Thursday afternoon at the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus and will be escorted into a bulletproof limousine indoors before his convoy leaves the station. A source said preparations for the lockdown around the station would begin before midnight on Tuesday.