The People’s Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong last night issued a pointed showcase of its capabilities — including crowd control — in the form of an ordnance-packed video, as its leader condemned recent violent clashes in the city and voiced his commitment to preserving China’s sovereignty.
The flashy video, released on the Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo, shows Chinese soldiers firing weapons like rockets and heavy machine guns, engaging in urban combat scenarios (complete with Hong Kong taxis), and, tellingly, conducting crowd control measures, at one point advancing towards mock protesters displaying a banner admonishing the crowd to “stop charging” while shouting, in Cantonese, “All consequences are at your own risk.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KChqbx7IO4w
The release of the video was timed to coincide with the 92nd anniversary of the PLA, and at a reception marking the occasion last night, Hong Kong garrison commander Chen Daoxiang offered his first public thoughts on the pro-democracy protest movement that has rocked the city for weeks, CNN reported. Chen was only appointed to his current post in April.
“Recently, there have been a series of extremely violent incidents happening in Hong Kong,” he said at last night’s reception, which was held in Admiralty and attended by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam.
“The incidents have seriously threatened the life and safety of Hong Kong citizens, and violated the bottom line of ‘one country, two systems,’” he added. “This should not be tolerated and we express our strong condemnation.”
Fears of a PLA crackdown have intensified in recent days, with numerous false reports circulating on social media that troop movements were already underway inside the city.
Beijing, meanwhile, has upped its rhetoric against the Hong Kong protests since demonstrators besieged the China Liaison Office on July 21 and vandalized the Chinese national emblem. Two days later, Wu Qian, a defense ministry spokesperson, ominously pointed out that the government can request the PLA intervene under garrison law.
However, a recent op-ed in the state-run Global Times argues against a PLA intervention, warning that it might backfire. Instead it advises the Hong Kong Police Force “become tough” in dealing with protesters, and then “those thugs will disperse right away.”
Likewise, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office recently appeared to suggest Beijing would prefer to see Hong Kong handle its own problems, saying it was confident “our Hong Kong compatriots will be able to govern, develop and manage Hong Kong well.”
Dr. Chong Ja Ian, a China expert at the National University of Singapore, told Coconuts HK today that PLA rhetoric often represents more bellicose currents within the Communist Party, and warned that any military intervention in Hong Kong would have dire consequences.
“[The PLA has] a role in extending and expressing pressure — as well as threats — on behalf of the CCP. In this regard they tend to be historically associated with a more assertive, even aggressive, voice within the CCP,” he said.
Intervention, however, “would represent a definitive end to one country two systems.”
“That means Hong Kong would be unable to serve as the crucial conduit for finance and other services, since these require insulation from the full nature of the [mainland] system,” he added.
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