China holds police exercises near border with Hong Kong
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Hundreds of members of members of China’s People’s Armed Police (PAP) were seen marching and conducting exercises in the city of Shenzhen near the Hong Kong border on Thursday.
Over 100 paramilitary vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers and troop trucks, were seen parked at a stadium in Shenzhen, with troops marching in fatigues. At least two of the vehicles were carrying water cannons, according to a Reuters report.
The exercises come after ten weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations in semi-autonomous Hong Kong, including increasingly violent confrontations between police and protesters. A sit-in by protesters at the Hong Kong International Airport prompted two days of flight cancellations.
Members of People’s Armed Police Force (PAP) patrol in front of the entrance of the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, 15 August 2019. PAP is the 1.5 million-member paramilitary force. On the spot at least thousand members of PAP are seen, along with countless militarized and armored vehicles. EPA-EFE/Alex Plavevski
In recent days, Chinese state media posted videos of the PAP assembling in Shenzhen, while US President Donald Trump tweeted that US intelligence confirmed Chinese troop movements at the border.
