THE PLA's advance troops will not come to the territory immediately after the Lunar New Year, according to a senior army official.
Xu Hezhen, deputy director of the general office of the General Staff headquarters, said the arrival had been delayed by failure to reach an agreement between China and Britain.
'It now seems that it is impossible to send the troops to the territory after the Lunar New Year,' he said.
Mr Xu declined to say how long the delay would be. Preparation for the PLA garrison would certainly be affected if it went on for too long.
'The garrison needs to eat and live in Hong Kong. The advance troops have to make sure that their living conditions meet the minimum standards,' Mr Xu said.
The troops would not be equipped with weapons, he added, due to the nature of their task.
