China sent a fresh batch of troops into Hong Kong on Thursday — a move it described as routine — as protests in the city continue.
Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule under a "one country, two systems" principle in 1997. Under that formula, its citizens enjoy some legal and economic freedoms that mainland Chinese don't have.
The garrison will "resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and develop interests, effectively perform duties to defend Hong Kong, and make important new contributions to safeguarding Hong Kong's prosperity and stability," the statement said, according to a CNBC translation. Earlier, state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the Hong Kong garrison had "conducted the 22nd rotation of its members in the wee hours of Thursday," Xinhua said.
It published photos of armed personnel carriers and trucks carrying troops at the border, as well as a small naval vessel arriving in Hong Kong.But as the months-long protests in the city got increasingly violent, troops and tanks started assembling earlier this month in Shenzhen, a Chinese city bordering Hong Kong, and the military's movements on the ground were closely watched.
The rallies in Hong Kong were initially spurred by opposition to a proposed bill that would allow people in Hong Kong to be extradited to mainland China, but it has since evolved into a broader movement calling for democracy.after protesters attacked officers with sticks and rods, and brought out water cannon trucks for the first time — an escalation in the showdown with protesters.
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