In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Hong Kong new Police Chief Chris Tang, center, stands with officials as they watch a flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. Chris Tang, said Saturday in Beijing that he’ll adopt both "hard and soft approaches" for policing protests. He spoke to the media after his first meetings with Chinese officials since his appointment last month. (Yin Gang/Xinhua via AP)

BEIJING/HONG KONG – Hong Kong’s new police commissioner said on Saturday his force would take a flexible approach to pro-democracy demonstrations as the city gears up for a rally on Sunday that is expected to draw a huge crowd.

Chris Tang was appointed last month upon his predecessor’s retirement and amid six months of sometimes violent anti-government protests in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong. He was speaking in Beijing on a “courtesy visit” during which he briefed top officials in charge of public security, legal and Hong Kong affairs.

“We will use both the hard and soft approach. We will be stringent on illegal violent actions such as throwing of petrol bombs, acid,” Tang told reporters in Beijing.

“For other issues, if possible, we will adopt a more flexible approach.”

Police have given a rare green light to the demonstration planned for Sunday by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF) group, which organised largely peaceful million-strong marches in the summer.