Shenzhen residents’ views mixed over whether China will intervene in Hong Kong

Reuters - Residents in Shenzhen on Tuesday (August 20) had mixed views over how the mainland government should deal with continual anti-government protests just over the Hong Kong border. Hundreds of members of the paramilitary People's Armed Police have been conducting exercises at a Shenzhen sports complex since last week in what was widely seen as a warning to protesters in Hong Kong. "In normal circumstances, we won't (intervene). We won't. But if they want to subvert Hong Kong, subvert the bottom line of the People's Republic of China, then the paramilitary might make an appearance," said a 67-year-old People's Liberation Army veteran surnamed Gao. The paramilitary exercises have accentuated a concern that China is considering direct intervention in Hong Kong, where the city has been stifled by months of protests demanding the withdrawal of a controversial law that would extradite suspects to the mainland. In recent days, Chinese state media has been full of thinly veiled threats that China would not sit by and watch if the "violence" and "near-terrorism" continued.