China's Hong Kong Aggression Begins After Days of Build-Up
Left: Royal Army soldier some distance from the border | Centre: Chinese ZTZ69 tank destroyed in the outskirts of Canton | Right: Crowded evacuation post in Macao
Canton, Hong Kong Crown Territory, 18 May 2018In the eve of 17 May 2018, the Democratic People's Republic of China began their invasion of the Hong Kong Crown Territory. This was following the sudden spark of Chinese threats to invade Hong Kong, beginning in 6 May when the Chinese stationed around 100,000 troops to the Hong Kong-China border, along with heavy equipment and artillery.
In the days after their deployment, the DPRC received great international backlash, and increased sanctions from the UN. The Eurasian Union expressed their support for Britain, with Japan, Russia, and India deploying troops on their borders with China. However, all of these were ignored by China's iron-fisted dictator, Fu Xinyi, and an additional 80,000 troops were deployed in 11 May. Premier Fu repeatedly stated in Chinese media that
"... no diplomacy will be brokered with the West..." and that
"... Hong Kong is rightfully ours...".
In response, King-Emperor James IV ordered the 4th Armoured Corps, a unit of the Royal Army stationed in southern Italy, to bolster the 8,700-strong Royal Hong Kong Rifles, the only British military force present in Hong Kong. As of today, no sub-unit of the 4th hasn't arrived in Hong Kong. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force also saw increased presence in Hong Kong, with the HMS Matterhorn, an
Everest-class Light Aircraft Carrier, being restationed there from New Guinea.
The people of Canton, Macao, and Hong Kong City began panicking. Booked flights out of the Territory tripled, and many airports were congested in the days to follow. Airlines began flying more to Hong Kong to accommodate the passenger surge. Supermarkets were often forced to close down due to panic buying, and the Hong Kong Government had to begin releasing supplies typically reserved for disaster.
17 May 2018, at around 23:00, the British forces guarding the border saw flashes of light in the distance, later with sounds of artillery fire. The border checkpoints were barraged by Chinese guns. While their alertness saved most of them from the initial barrage, the soldiers still had to face around 220,000 Chinese soldiers, spearheaded by dozens of ZTZ59 and ZTZ69 tanks.
Royal Army forces stood their ground. Machine guns and anti-tank launchers were fired against the aggressors. Within 30 minutes, the HMS Matterhorn was sending its squadrons of Apache attack helicopters and FGR6 Raven carrier-based stealth fighters. The HMS Bristol and HMS Königsberg
City-class frigates tackled a group of Chinese
Jiangwei II frigates and
Type 037 corvettes attempting a blockade. With practically no air support, the Chinese offence stalled by the dawn of 18 May, the Chinese gaining little ground for high casualties.
However, the Chinese continue to push, and Royal Army lines are getting thinned at every hour. The exact number of casualties is unknown, but estimates are around 100 to 200 Royal Army personnel dead with even more wounded, and around 10,000 to 15,000 PLA troops dead with an unknown but likely high number of wounded. Civilian casualties are put at 46 dead, and hundreds of wounded.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has officially declared war on China this morning. This was followed by declarations of war from the Russian Empire, Japanese Empire, Dominion of India, and United States of America announced throughout the day. The rest of the NATO and EU member states are expected to follow suit in the coming days.
Governor-General Maribeth Ainsworth held an emergency press conference this morning.
"This act of unprovoked aggression by the Democratic People's Republic of China warrants ultimate condemnation. As I speak, brave Royal Army soldiers are risking their lives only kilometres from here. You can hear the gunshots and explosions from the distance. The PLA is slowly beginning to close into our homes, Canton and its surrounding villages are bombarded by Chinese artillery, innocent people are getting killed. Women and children now homeless and fearing for their lives. This cannot stand. Once we drive you back, and we will, the same amount of violence will meet your own cities. We do not want war, but now that it's here, we sure as hell are going to fight at every field and street corner. For now, we urge the people of the Hong Kong Crown Territory to evacuate. Bring what you can carry, the authorities will come to each and every home and pick you up. Shelters have been set up where you will be safe. We wish your safety. Know that the Empire protects her people."
- Maribeth Ainsworth, Governor-General of Hong Kong; 18 May 2018
Evacuations are underway, especially in the City of Canton. The Canton Metropolitan Police is finding difficulty with the situation, and sincerely asks for the citizens' cooperation. If you live in any high-risk area, we recommend you to gather any food, clothing, and essentials and prepare for an immediate evacuation. It is unknown whether the garrison could hold until reinforcements arrive.
By: Hanae Kawamoto, Imperial Herald Correspondent