Hundreds of members of members of China's People's Armed Police (PAP) were seen marching and conducting exercises in the city of Shenzhen near the Hong Kong border on Thursday, according to journalists on the scene.

Over 100 paramilitary vehicles, including armoured personnel carriers and troop trucks, were seen parked at a stadium in Shenzhen, with troops marching in fatigues. At least two of the vehicles were carrying water cannons, according to a Reuters reporter.

The exercises come after ten weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, including increasingly-violent confrontations between police and protesters.

Also read: Hong Kong Mops Up After Weekend of Violence, Braces for More Protests

Concerns have been rising about Beijing possibly intervening to put an end to the demonstrations, although diplomats and analysts believe Beijing has little desire to use the PAP or People's Liberation Army troops to halt the pro-democracy protests.

"We can be certain the regime understands that sending in troops to Hong Kong will inflame the protests and the protesters' anti-China grievances," James Char, a military expert at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, told news agency AFP.

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