Hundreds of China’s People’s Armed Police on Thursday conducted exercises at a sports stadium in Shenzhen that borders Hong Kongbraced for more mass protests over the weekend, even as China warned it could use its power to quell demonstrations and US President Donald Trump urged his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to meet with the protesters to defuse weeks of tensions.
into its worst crisis since it reverted from British to Chinese rule in 1997, and have presented the biggest popular challenge to Xi in his seven years in power. “The central government of China will never allow a few violent offenders to drag Hong Kong down a dangerous road, down a dangerous abyss,” Liu said.tabloid also warned that China had the option to “forcefully intervene” and lashed out at what Beijing describes as US interference in Hong Kong.
Trump’s tougher stance on Hong Kong followed a debate within his administration over whether Washington was looking too compliant while China appeared to be preparing for a crackdown, a source familiar with the deliberations said. “For the international community to speak up for Hong Kong is extremely important, and we see that across the American political establishment,” Dennis Kwok of the liberal-democratic Civic Party said at the Asia Society think tank in New York. He and fellow party member Alvin Yeung were to meet with US lawmakers.