11:12 a.m. ET, August 14, 2019
Chinese unit regularly used to quell protests spotted near the Hong Kong border
From CNN’s Matt Rivers
A CNN team on the ground in Shenzhen, China, witnessed large numbers of uniformed members of the People’s Armed Police Force (also known as PAP) Wednesday, carrying riot shields and batons just miles away from Hong Kong on the mainland China side of the border.
The PAP, which is under the command of China’s central military commission, is the 1.5 million-member paramilitary force the government regularly deploys to quell protests within its borders.
A PAP officer told CNN the troops had just arrived for a temporary assignment, staying at the sports stadium where they were filmed. The officer did not confirm why the troops were stationed there.
Why this matters: There has been increased speculation recently that Chinese troops could enter Hong Kong to help stop the continuing protests in that city.
President Trump tweeted Tuesday that the US had seen Chinese troop buildups near the border, though it’s unclear if these are the troops he was referring to.
Remember: There is NO indication that Chinese military or PAP members are set to imminently enter Hong Kong. However, state media has repeatedly brought up that possibility and propaganda videos of soldiers training in makeshift riot scenes have been heavily promoted by the government in the mainland.