Washington (AFP)

Donald Trump confirmed Tuesday, based on information from US intelligence, that the Chinese army was deploying "on the border with Hong Kong", calling "everyone" to "calm".

China's official media had already broadcast footage of forces hitting the border of the semi-autonomous region, in what appeared to be a way for China to escalate the threat of intervention.

"Our intelligence services have informed us that the Chinese government is deploying soldiers on the border with Hong Kong," the US president wrote on Twitter, bringing an external confirmation to the videos.

"Everyone should stay calm and safe!" He said.

Donald Trump had previously called for a "peaceful" resolution without bloodshed.

"The situation in Hong Kong is difficult, very difficult, we'll see what happens," he told reporters.

"I hope it will be solved for everyone, including China, I hope there will be a peaceful solution, I hope no one will be hurt, I hope no one will be killed" he had insisted.

- Prudent reaction -

The prodemocracy movement that began in early June in the former British colony is at the heart of the most serious crisis since its return to Beijing in 1997. Massive protests led on Tuesday a second day of chaos at Hong Kong airport. while the pro-Beijing local government has accused the protest of rushing the city on a "no-return" path.

Washington had already urged Monday "all parties to refrain from any violence." US Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo met with top Chinese Communist Party official Yang Jiechi in New York on Tuesday, but the State Department did not want to say more about the content of their talks. .

So far the American reaction has been relatively cautious. The president of the United States had estimated in early August that Beijing had "no need for advice" on the file, adding that the crisis was "between Hong Kong and China because Hong Kong is part of China."

By the end of July, he had even assured that his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping had "acted responsibly" until then.

However, the Chinese side is increasingly denouncing attempts to "interfere" Washington, first when Donald Trump said in early July, the protesters were "in search of democracy", then after a meeting between an American diplomat in Hong Kong and pro-democracy activists.

Following the Chinese protests over the meeting, the two countries sharply rose last week, with the US State Department accusing the Chinese official media of disclosing personal information about one of its diplomats, and denouncing "dangerous" methods worthy of a "rogue" regime.

In another tweet, Donald Trump also on Tuesday mysteriously estimated that many people accused him, as well as the United States, of being responsible for "the current problems in Hong Kong."

© 2019 AFP