Chinese President Xi Jinping will do "whatever it takes to stop street riots protests", a Chinese expert told Sky News.

Professor Steve Tsang, director of China's SOAS Institute, said: "Xi Jinping will order the party, the government and the police to do whatever it takes to restore order to the streets." He added that he did not think Xi would "give in to the demands of the protesters" and loosen the coronavirus restrictions.

"I think Xi Jinping will solve the problem at this early stage, so he doesn't have to send tanks on the protesters like his predecessor did in 1989. But that means he will use force. "But if you use the initial phase of the protests, it will be less intense," Tsang said.

Tsang says Beijing's treatment of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong in 2019 shows Xi "doesn't lack the imagination to come up with other ways to intimidate the local population without shedding a drop of blood."

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