Beijing Olympics Security Unit Established
A senior officer from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has confirmed that a dedicated unit has been established to tackle the problem of security at next year’s Olympic Games. The details of this were confirmed during a briefing, held yesterday, which focused on the PLA’s security plan for the Beijing Olympics. The briefing was attended by 65 defence attaches, who represented 54 nations.
The officer, Tian Yixiang, stated that the security unit comprises members of China’s air force, army and navy, who will work together at the event. He added that a specialised training program for all those involved has been completed.
Mr Yixiang detailed how the PLA security unit would be tasked primarily with managing 21st century threats such as potential terror attacks of a nuclear or biochemical nature. Regarding this first feature, he stated "It is international practice for military forces to participate in security for Olympic Games. The PLA has completed emergency plans for non-traditional threats.”
Commenting on the projected scale of the games’ security network, Mr Yixiang added: "The equipment and defence abilities of the PLA security unit for the Beijing Olympics will exceed those in the Athens Games."
In line with the detailed security blueprint for the Olympics, the PLA unit’s responsibilities will include protecting the air above China’s relevant stadiums and arenas, and also ensuring the security of coastal venues. The unit will work in tandem with armed forces and the police; assisting with the prevention of terrorist attacks, plus aiding with the consequent rescue missions in the aftermath of any such event.
Additionally, the PLA security unit will take responsibility for the management of China’s borders; again, to halt the threat of terrorism entering the country while the Beijing Olympics are in progress.
As per Mr Yixiang, a large number of the security unit’s members would stay on either aerial or seaborne alert. A further possible area of patrol could be Hong Kong’s horse arena, but this is subject to a request, yet to be made, by the island’s Special Administrative Region government.
Source - Security International's Far East Correspondent
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