A Chinese military force was seen Thursday morning near the Hong Kong border, while US President Donald Trump offered to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying he was optimistic the latter would solve the problem.
According to Agence France-Presse, thousands of Chinese military police gathered at a sports stadium in Shenzhen, a city bordering Hong Kong, and trucks and armored vehicles participated in exercises to transport them there.
Chinese state media also released videos of military convoys heading for Shenzhen.
Al-Jazeera correspondent said the observers ruled out Chinese military intervention, as Beijing is calculating the possible tension with major powers.
The clashes between police and protesters on the streets of Hong Kong were renewed yesterday, as police dispersed protest gatherings using tear gas.
| Protesters control parts of Hong Kong airport (Getty Images) |
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On the other hand, Trump said in a tweet on Twitter, "I have no doubt whatsoever that President Xi if he wants to solve the problem in Hong Kong in a quick and humane way, he can do so."
Trump added a question in the form of an invitation: "a personal meeting?", In what seemed to put forward an idea to provide assistance to the Chinese president directly.
The United States yesterday expressed concern over the movement of Chinese troops on the border with Hong Kong, and called on Beijing to honor its commitments in the Sino-British Joint Declaration to allow Hong Kong to exercise "the highest degree of autonomy."
Under the 1997 agreement, which saw Hong Kong return from British colonial rule to China, the city aims to enjoy broader freedoms than those allowed on the Chinese mainland.