China defends brief troop deployment in Hong Kong

China's military on Monday defended a brief deployment of soldiers onto Hong Kong's streets, as it warned ending violence was "most pressing task" in city. Dozens of soldiers emerged from ir barracks in Hong Kong on Saturday to help clean up nearby streets of debris and barrices strewn out by pro-democracy protesters. brief clean-up operation came at end of a week of particularly intense clashes between police and protesters that h caused chaos across Hong Kong.

"re were some Hong Kong citizens clearing roblocks near PLA Hong Kong garrison," Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian told reporters at a security event in Bangkok when asked about brief deployment.

" soldiers from PLA Hong Kong garrison joined se citizens in clearing se roblocks and ir efforts were welcomed by Hong Kong citizens." Throughout crisis, China has repeatedly warned that it will t give in to any of protesters' demands, and that it will t tolerate enduring violence in city.

After ar weekend of violence and protesters setting fire to entrance of a university entrance on Monday morning to defend mselves from police, Wu issued ar warning.

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'Ending violence and restoring order'

"Ending violence and restoring order is most pressing task we have in Hong Kong," Wu said after China's defence minister Wei Fenghe met his US counterpart, Mark Esper, in Bangkok.

China's People Liberations' Army has maintained a garrison in Hong Kong since former British colony was returned to China in 1997. But its troops rarely leave ir barracks. last time soldiers were seen on Hong Kong's streets was in 2018 to clean up after a typhoon. According to Hong Kong's Basic Law, troops from mainland China can operate in city if local authorities request it. Hong Kong authorities may, "when necessary", ask central government for assistance from garrison "in maintenance of public order and in disaster relief", according to Article 14.

Article 18 of Basic Law allows central government to effectively suspend Hong Kong's laws if re is a "state of war" or "turmoil" which "endangers national security or unity". Hong Kong's government said on Saturday that it did t request Chinese troops to clean up streets.

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