Ballistic briefcases, machine guns and a bulletproof car: the unprecedented security blanket thrown around Hong Kong for Xi Jinping’s visit
- All law enforcement agencies have been mobilised to protect Xi and his entourage during two-day visit to mark handover anniversary
- Anti-riot armoured vehicles, dubbed ‘Sabre-toothed tigers’, were also deployed by police to patrol streets
An unprecedented security blanket involving elite bodyguards, a 50-strong motorcade, ballistic briefcases and machine guns has been thrown around Hong Kong for President Xi Jinping’s visit for the 25th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule, the Post has learned.
Security was raised to the maximum when Xi, 69, and his wife Peng Liyuan, 59, arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for the two-day trip to mark the handover anniversary as authorities mobilised all law enforcement agencies to protect the Chinese president and his entourage from terrorist attacks.
The couple was escorted by elite officers from the force’s VIP protection unit, formerly known as G4, along with personal bodyguards from the Central Security Bureau as they arrived at the West Kowloon high-speed rail terminus on a special train from Shenzhen shortly after 3pm.
Some of the armed officers from the protection unit were seen carrying lightweight ballistic briefcases that could be converted into fold-out bulletproof shields or blankets to provide protective coverage within a matter of seconds.
Outgoing Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, who greeted the president at the train platform, was also accompanied by officers from the protection unit, including Yip Kwan-yau, who was previously attached to the airport security unit in 2013 and has protected her since 2017.
A source said some elite officers had carried machine guns disguised as briefcases so they could take immediate action in the event of danger.
A long motorcade, comprising up to 50 police vehicles, was seen each time Xi was out on business. The convoy was led by police motorcycles from the force’s escort team as well as a rare vehicle from its explosive ordnance disposal team, which can shut down any nearby phone and network signals to stop anyone from setting off bombs remotely.
