Chinese troops in Hong Kong and Macau ‘will join more overseas war games’
- At least 250 soldiers from the two garrisons took part in 10-day exercise with Malaysia and Thailand
- Analysts expect they will be involved in more joint drills in the future, ‘serving as windows for the PLA to connect with the outside world’
Troops stationed at the PLA garrisons in Hong Kong and Macau will take part in more overseas drills as they try to improve their skills, military analysts say, after soldiers from Macau joined their first exercise abroad.
At least 250 People’s Liberation Army troops from the two garrisons joined a 10-day exercise between China, Malaysia and Thailand that ended at Port Dickson in Malaysia on Monday, according to Xinhua.
The drill, named Peace and Friendship 2018, was the first held by the three countries. Troops from Macau and Hong Kong left from Hong Kong International Airport – the first time it had been used to deploy army personnel. While it was the first overseas mission for the Macau soldiers, Hong Kong garrison troops joined their first international war games in 2016.
“Being combat-ready and striving to become a modernised army is the PLA’s mission, but it doesn’t mean they should be limited to where they are stationed. This is an overall direction from President Xi Jinping for the entire army,” said military analyst Song Zhongping, who is based in Hong Kong.
“Joining these international military drills overseas serves that purpose – for the garrisons in Hong Kong and Macau to boost their capabilities,” he said.