New Hong Kong police chief Chris Tang tells top Beijing officials that ‘hard and soft’ tactics will be used to thwart protest crisis
- Tang stresses that toughness has nothing to do with the potential deployment of People’s Liberation Army soldiers
- He insists police are still responsible for security in the city
Hong Kong’s new police commissioner told top Beijing officials on Saturday that his force would handle the ongoing anti-government protests with both “hard and soft” tactics – being tough on violence but flexible on minor offences.
Tang said the top mainland official in charge of Hong Kong affairs “highly recognised” the efforts of the Hong Kong police over the past six months and would continue to support the force as it works to curb violence and restore order.
“I introduced the Hong Kong situation,” Tang told the press after the meeting. “I told them that my strategy would use both hard and soft approaches. That is, we will strengthen [actions against] illegal violent acts such as the use of petrol bombs and arson.”
He stressed that the tough approach had nothing to do with the potential deployment of People’s Liberation Army soldiers and that Hong Kong police were still responsible for security in the city.
