China’s military mouthpiece People's Liberation Army Daily released a propaganda video of a sniper tournament at the Hong Kong garrison, two days before China’s top legislature is expected to pass a national security law for Hong Kong.

To release footage featuring long-ranged lethal weapons at this sensitive time, China is flexing its military muscle to assert their determination in pressing ahead with the national security law and using military force against Hong Kong protesters, according to China watchers and military experts.

In an official Weibo post published on Sunday, snipers of the Hong Kong garrison competed in 15 drills and shot near 100 targets in a recent tournament. Multiple snipers wielding CS/LR4 7.62 and QBU10 12.7 sniper rifles were filmed shooting targets under different extreme conditions, such as crawling under barbed wire and taking cover behind obstacles.

“The design of the tournament is based on real combat situations, training snipers to hit the targets instantly,” said a male lieutenant in the two-minute clip.

In the past, PLA’s Hong Kong garrison aimed to leave a warm and friendly impression by demonstrating flawless blanket-folding and taking part in annual blood donation campaigns. During the pro-democracy movement last year, soldiers monitored protests from the military barracks and marched out for the first time on Nov 16 to clear roadblocks left by protesters. One of the soldiers leading the action claimed they “volunteered” to remove the debris.

The sudden turn towards a stronger, more intimidating stance in propaganda is believed to be related to Beijing’s push for a national security law.

Bruce Lui, senior journalism lecturer at Hong Kong Baptist University, said both the content and timing of PLA’s propaganda videos are designed to serve a purpose. Unlike the well-trained and capable image created in the past, the latest sniper drill with lethal weapons emphasized the offensive capacity of the Hong Kong garrison. “The sudden move to promote their lethal weapons and drills is definitely related to the national security law.”

PLA also handles the most serious national security cases. So besides expressing their loyalty, the video sent a clear message of deterrence to supporters of Hong Kong independence and foreign countries that denounced the national security law, Lui added.

Military expert Antony Wong also considered the video an expression of intimidation to Hong Kong independence campaigners and of support for the national security law. Military has always played an important part in China’s propaganda, so it is hardly surprising for the army to publish such a video at the critical time of the controversial legislation, Wong said.

The Hong Kong garrison has never published videos solely on snipers, as far as Wong remembers. The tournament video thus served to demonstrate the military’s ability to conduct sniper operations in Hong Kong’s highly dense urban environment and target specific protesters without causing collateral damage, he said.

Wong expected to see more military propaganda videos in the coming week, for a stronger deterrent effect.

Hui Ching, research director at the Hong Kong Zhiming Institute, found the video consistent with PLA’s development. Chinese President Xi Jinping has recently ordered the army to step up preparations for armed combat. Military spending has also greatly increased since he took power. Investing in training of snipers is also a global trend, Hui added. “Sniper is a common defense tactic in urban combat, especially in a financial center like Hong Kong, which cannot afford widespread damage.”

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