Beijing’s latest response to the relentless protests in Hong Kong indicates that although Chinese leaders may have decided not to deploy troops in Hong Kong, they are starting to mobilize alternative forms of violence to quell the anti-extradition protests, according to China experts Chen Zhong and Ching Cheong.
Millions of Hong Kong residents have taken to the streets since June to protest a controversial extradition bill that would allow criminal suspects to be transferred to mainland China for trial. The new bill sparks fear that Hong Kong residents and even tourists in Hong Kong, including foreign nationals, could be arrested and subjected to a Chinese legal system that is known for groundless charges, arbitrary detentions, and torture.
