The Chinese government has ordered the formation of new special police battalions that will be given special equipment and SWAT training and will be used to deal with riots, hostage situations, and terrorists. Each of a dozen major cities will form a 300-man unit, while each province will have a mobile 200-man unit able to be helicoptered to anywhere within its borders. China has had riot police before, but these were little more than regular police units given a new designation, no extra equipment, and cursory training. The new units will be intensely trained and constantly exercised.—Stephen V Cole