Are you in Beijing right now? I am, and I haven’t seen a single AK-47 on any street corner. I haven’t been on every street corner, so it’s possible there may be one somewhere, but I haven’t seen a one since arriving in Beijing over a month ago.
The photos with cops armed with assault weapons appear to be near some subway station or something, from the look of it.
So do you think the report is highlighting the fact that police(at least some of them) started to brandish assault weapons openly for the first time? That may be what the article wants to come across, and it is used as an indication of massive security presence intensifying. I heard that locals put up with long lines at the subway stations during their daily commute. Some well-to-do folks reportedly skipped the town altogether, trying to get away from hassles.
Probably because of that, ordinary Chinese are more sensitive to react to this kind of scene, unlike visitors. You must have no visa problem or accommodations. I hear other reports saying that some foreigners were kicked out and many have troubling getting in. Are you a journalist covering Olympic game?