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China-Japan-Koreas
Chinese forces gathering at Hong Kong border, White House officials monitoring escalation
2019-07-31
[News.com.au] The White House is monitoring the sudden "congregation" of Chinese forces at the border with Hong Kong, according to reports, following another night of unrest and clashes between protesters and police.

A senior US official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity said a number of units had gathered, but it’s unclear if they are security police or part of China’s military, Bloomberg reports.

It comes as Beijing accused the United States of inciting the increasingly unruly protests in Hong Kong, which began two months ago over a proposed extradition bill that could see citizens sent to the mainland.

Since then, demonstrations have evolved into a statement against Beijing’s influence in the operation of the relatively autonomous region.

Bloomberg cites the White House official as saying the US is watching China’s mainland border manoeuvres. Reports of the gathering of forces has sparked panic among Hong Kong locals on social media.
Posted by:Besoeker

#7  Helllloooo Singapore!
Posted by: Frank G   2019-07-31 19:28  

#6  Wonder how the NY Stock Market will react when a large grass roots movement to boycott anything marked "Made in China" hits?
Posted by: Procopius2k   2019-07-31 18:57  

#5  #1 This will not end well.

I agree there are few scenarios w/bad outcomes. I've been here for 2 years now and the last 8 weeks has fundamentally changed this place. I doubt it will ever get back to where it was earlier this year.

I also agree that the PRC will NOT yield 1 inch - especially to the demand that Carrie Lam resign. The PRC cannot show any weakness to either the 1.4 billion ChiComms or the rest of the world.

90-95% of the time these past 8 weeks has been business as usual. The protests, while in different areas, are mostly peaceful. I believe there's a hardcore group of a couple 1,000 that come out after dark to confront the police. The Triad attack at the train station really messed with people's heads. Classic PRC tactic that works up there but backfired big time here.

Not sure how this ends but hoping that the HK people n govt can find a way back from the edge.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy   2019-07-31 18:53  

#4  They got away with Tienanmen Square...they probably figure they can do what they need to do in Hong Kong as well. Trump might complain but who else will?
Posted by: Abu Uluque   2019-07-31 11:06  

#3  Right. Who gives a fuck about hong kong ? Let China carve it up. There's a thriving trafficking and prostitution industry, perpetrators of which are arrested and tried only at local level by the HKSA. China could stamp it into mush. So let it.
Posted by: Dron66046   2019-07-31 11:06  

#2  Beijing is caught between a rock and a hard place with Hong Kong. They can't allow a portion of their population the freedom the Hong Kongers have. An iron fist is the only way they keep their multitudes of people in line and a beacon of freedom in their borders can't fly.

However, if they crush Hong Kong the backlash from the west will be huge. The US is already proving that we won't put up with their shit anymore and the trade wars are seriously hurting China. No money equals no bribes to party members and no fancy military to bully neighbors.

I think they will try to walk a middle line, but I don't know if they can corral Hong Kong by just rolling tanks down the street and arresting a few people.
Posted by: DarthVader   2019-07-31 09:51  

#1  This will not end well.
Posted by: Besoeker   2019-07-31 07:19  

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