Chinese Forces Gathering At Hong Kong Border White House Officials Monitoring Escalation

(News.com) Shannon Molloy July 31 2019 2:17 PM The White House is monitoring the sudden congregation" of Chinese forces at the border with Hong Kong according to reports following another night of unrest and clashes between protesters and police. A senior US official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity said a number of units had gathered but its unclear if they are security police or part of Chinas military Bloomberg reports. It comes as Beijing accused the United States of inciting the increasingly unruly protests in Hong Kong which began two months ago over a proposed extradition bill that could see citizens sent to the mainland. Since then demonstrations have evolved into a statement against Beijings influence in the operation of the relatively autonomous region. Bloomberg cites the White House official as saying the US is watching Chinas mainland border maneuvers. Reports of the gathering of forces has sparked panic among Hong Kong locals on social media. Overnight protesters in Hong Kong clashed with police once more with several hundred people taking to the streets. The latest unrest was sparked by media reports that 44 people who had been arrested on Sunday would face a range of serious charges.