'Beijing Won't Use PLA Unless There Is Chaos'

A top Beijing adviser said on Friday that he feels Beijing will send the PLA onto the streets only if there are territory-wide riots and Hong Kong descends into chaos.

Lau Siu-kai, the vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said he believes that using the army would be a decision the central government would only take with great care.

"To deploy the PLA in Hong Kong is a very serious matter which should be done only as a last resort. Because it will create a lot of problems for Hong Kong and China," he said.

"Even though the Basic Law and Garrison Law allow the PLA to be deployed in Hong Kong, legally it is okay, but politically it's a big event for everyone" Lau said.

"So unless Beijing sees Hong Kong as uncontrollable and the government is unable to govern, I would say Beijing would rely on the Hong Kong government, Hong Kong police and Hong Kong people's preference for stability to gradually restore a state of normality in Hong Kong," he said.

He told RTHK's Candice Wong that he feels Beijing won't easily risk compromising the One Country, Two Systems principle.