The Hong Kong Police Force has received unwavering support from both the Chinese and Hong Kong governments, as well as some segments of society.

This has occurred even as protesters in Hong Kong continue to condemn the police's use of excessive force during widespread demonstrations in the past several weeks.

Chinese propaganda

On Aug. 12, Chinese state-owned media CCTV released a video espousing the righteous qualities of the Hong Kong police while they fight against the evil forces, which in this case, are the protesters.

The video was posted along with the hashtags, "Hong Kong police, we support you" and "This is China".

Curated clips from Hong Kong police-themed movies and dramas

Produced by Xiaoyang Video, CCTV's short video channel, the pro-police video has been circulating on the Chinese Intranet, such as on social media platforms like Weibo, Bilibili, and iQiyi.

Oddly enough, the video is a compilation of actual clips from the Hong Kong protests, together with clips from popular police and gangster-themed Hong Kong movies and TV dramas.

These curated clips are meant to convey the message that despite the protesters' attacks and insults directed at the Hong Kong police, the force will continue to safeguard Hong Kong by standing their ground, and not giving in to the "rioters".

"Evil will not hold us down! Police officers, 1.4 billion compatriots support you!", the video caption reads.

The video also included a quote from a Hong Kong police officer:

"The Hong Kong police is capable of subduing the rioters, but it's just that they are Chinese people as well.

We can't hit them, nor can we let them off. It's really heartbreaking."

The video also used words such as "terrorists" and "bandits" to describe the "rioters" in Hong Kong, similar to the official narrative adopted by both the central and Hong Kong governments, following the protesters' escalating use of force.

Movie clips used contain a different meaning in original films

Coupled with dramatic background music, the video portrays Hong Kong police as the good guys fighting against criminals who were ruining Hong Kong with their evil deeds.

For instance, the following lines by movie star Aaron Kwok, who acted as the Commissioner of Police Force Sean Lau in the movie Cold War 2, were included in the video:

• "I don't care about the plans that you and your people have. I'm giving you my last order: Stop, and get out!"
• "Hong Kong is not a place where you can do whatever you want."

While these lines appear to be directed at the "rioters" who were disrupting public order in Hong Kong, Lau gave his lines in a very different context in the original movie.

In Cold War 2, the police had been infiltrated by those siding with the criminals who had earlier stolen a police van.

Meanwhile, the deputy police commissioner tried to replace Lau with his own people, so as to gain power for the next chief executive election.

Lau was then caught in a political struggle within the police force as he attempted to fight against police corruption, rather than criminals outside the institution, which was a narrative that the video suggests.

Well-received by Chinese netizens

Regardless of the editing of the video, it has been well-received by Chinese netizens, receiving more than 66,000 likes on Bilibili, a Chinese video-sharing website.

Top comments included:

• "Whether it’s a natural disaster, or a man-made disaster, we can overcome this.”
• "Police officers, we support you!"
• "Do you know what this is? (American flag emoji) This is harmful rubbish."

These are the Hong Kong movies and dramas included in the video:

• Kill Zone (2005)
• Tactical Unit: Comrades in Arms (2009)
• Cold War (2012) & Cold War 2 (2016)
• Firestorm (2013)
• The White Storm (2013
• Line Walker (2014)
• The Menu (2015)
• Shock Wave (2017)
• L Storm (2018)
• Project Gutenberg (2018)
• >Chasing the Dragon (2017) & Chasing the Dragon 2 (2019)

Nice selection.

Top image via Xiaoyang Video/YouTube