125 SWAT teams will be deployed in downtown Shanghai during next week's Asian regional summit, Shanghai Daily reports.
1,250 SWAT officers will patrol the city during the summit, including popular tourist destinations such as the Bund, Yuyuan Garden and the Nanjing Road shopping areas.
"Two of us are carrying guns," one team leader told the Daily, describing preparations. "We all have bulletproof vests, helmets, shields, fire extinguishers and even a fire blanket for attacks, fires, accidents or other incidents."
The two-day Shanghai Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia begins on Tuesday, May 20.
Russian president Vladimir Putin, Iranian president Hassan Rouhani and UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon will attend the summit, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said Tuesday.
On Monday, 150 armed patrol vehicles were deployed in Beijing, reportedly in response to recent terrorist attacks, though many have pointed out the juxtaposition of such a display of force with the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
On Sunday, armed police in Shanghai, only recently introduced to the city's streets, shot a driver as he attempted to flee a blockade.
[Image via Shanghai Daily]
0 User Comments