Thousands of Chinese military personnel waving red flags paraded at a sports stadium in a city across the border from Hong Kong on Thursday, an AFP reporter witnessed.

Armoured vehicles were also seen inside the stadium in Shenzhen, with the event taking place as concerns build that China may intervene to end 10 weeks of unrest in Hong Kong.

State-run media reported this week that the elements of the People's Armed Police (PAP), which is under the command of the Central Military Commission, were assembling in Shenzhen.

Some of the personnel inside the stadium on Thursday had armed police insignias on their camouflage fatigues, according to the AFP reporter.

The security forces could be seen moving in formation inside the stadium, and occasionally running, while others rode around outside on motorbikes.

Outside the stadium -- which is around 7 kilometres (4.5 miles) from Hong Kong -- there were also dozens of trucks and armoured personnel carriers.

"I don't know why they're here, but it could be related to Hong Kong," a ticket vendor at the stadium told AFP.

The People's Daily and Global Times, two of the most powerful state-run media outlets, published videos on Monday of what it said was the PAP assembling in Shenzhen.

The Global Times editor-in-chief, Hu Xijin, said the military presence in Shenzhen was a sign that China was prepared to intervene in Hong Kong.

"If they do not pull back from the cliff and continue to push the situation further beyond the critical point, the power of the state may come to Hong Kong at any time," Hu wrote.

US President Donald Trump also said Tuesday American intelligence had confirmed Chinese troop movements toward the Hong Kong border.

"I hope it works out for everybody including China. I hope it works out peacefully, nobody gets hurt, nobody gets killed," Trump said.

- 'Public order' -

Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese city, have staged 10 weeks of relentless protests to demand greater rights and liberties.

The Asian financial hub has been governed under a "one country, two systems" legal framework since its handover to China from Britain in 1997.

Hong Kong allows far greater civil liberties than those on the mainland, but the protesters say those freedoms are eroding as mainland Chinese interference grows.

The protests, which have become increasingly violent and led to Hong Kong's airport being paralysed for two days this week, have become the biggest threat to China's rule since the handover.

The Chinese military has not interfered in Hong Kong since the handover but it can should it be called on by the city's government to maintain "public order".

James Char, a military expert at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said the deployment to Shenzhen was both to project an image of domestic strength as well as "a carefully calculated message to the protesters to think twice about growing or continuing with their recent intensified demonstrations".

"We can be certain the regime understands that sending in troops to Hong Kong will inflame the protests and the protesters' anti-China grievances," he said.

The PAP are in charge of "handling riots, turmoil, seriously violent, criminal activities, terrorist attacks and other societal security incidents", the People's Daily said in text accompanying its video on Monday.

Chinese authorities have on two occasions this week linked violent protests in Hong Kong to "terrorism". They have consistently described protesters as "rioters".

Young, educated and furious: a survey of Hong Kong's protesters
Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 14, 2019 - The vast majority of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protesters are university-educated, almost half are in their twenties and nearly everyone loathes the police, according to an academic survey that sheds new light on the movement.

Ten weeks of demonstrations in the financial hub have seen millions of people take to the streets, increasingly violent clashes breakout between hardcore protesters and police and, more recently, flights grounded at the airport.

The rallies that began in opposition to a bill allowing extraditions to mainland China have morphed into a broader bid to reverse a slide in democratic freedoms.

Researchers from four of the city's universities surveyed participants across 12 protests -- including mass rallies and "fluid" and "static" demonstrations -- between June 9 and August 4 and found 54 percent were male and 46 percent were female.

Overall, 77 percent of the 6,688 respondents said they had a tertiary (higher) education, with 21 percent saying they had a secondary (high school) education.

The 20-29 age bracket was the most represented with 49 percent, compared to 11 percent under 20 and 19 percent aged between 30 and 39. Sixteen percent were 40 and above.

Exactly half (50 percent) considered themselves to be middle class, while 41 percent said they were "grassroots".

When asked why they were demonstrating, 87 percent said they wanted the extradition bill to be withdrawn, 95 percent expressed dissatisfaction with police's handling of the protests and 92 percent called for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry.

The survey, called 'Onsite Survey Findings in Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Bill Protests' was published on August 12 and led by researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Lingnan University, the Hang Seng University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University.

As China pressure mounts, Hong Kong's Cathay sacks two pilots
Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 14, 2019 - Cathay Pacific said Wednesday two pilots had been sacked, as the Hong Kong carrier comes under huge pressure from Beijing to clamp down on staff supportive of anti-government rallies.

"One is currently involved in legal proceedings. The other misused company information on Flight CX216/12 August," the airline said in a statement.

Hong Kong has been gripped by ten weeks of protests that have seen millions take to the streets, sparked by opposition to a planned law that would have allowed extraditions to mainland China.

The demonstrations have evolved into a much broader campaign for democratic freedoms.

Cathay Pacific chief executive Rupert Hogg warned staff on Monday that they could be fired for supporting "illegal protests".

The airline said last week it had suspended a pilot accused of rioting after allegedly participating in protests.

It also said it had fired two ground staff, without specifying why. Local media reported that they were accused of leaking the travel details of a Hong Kong police football team that was travelling to the mainland.

Cathay has struggled to find middle ground in the increasingly bitter standoff between protesters in Hong Kong and local authorities backed by Beijing.

The airline is now subject to new regulations announced last week by Beijing's aviation regulator.

The rules require the airline to submit manifests of staff working on flights going to the mainland or through its airspace.

They ban any staff member accused of involvement in "illegal protests" from working on those flights, with authorities warning planes could be prevented from landing if they fail to comply.

Related Links
China News from SinoDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Would China risk another Tiananmen in Hong Kong?
Beijing (AFP) Aug 12, 2019
While China might be exploiting fears of a bloody "Tiananmen" crackdown on Hong Kong's protest movement, analysts say the potentially catastrophic economic and political consequences will deter Beijing from any overt boots-on-the ground intervention. As the clashes between pro-democracy demonstrators and police in the former British colony have grown increasingly violent, Beijing's condemnation has become more ominous, with warnings that those who play with fire will "perish by it". At the same ... read more