PLA ‘ready to defend Hong Kong’ after morning arrival Beijing says is routine troop rotation
- Photos show troops arriving in the city before dawn, with military armoured vehicles exchanged for anti-riot types
- Armed helicopters from the Hong Kong Garrison’s air force then fly in during daylight
The Chinese military conducted the latest rotation of its troops in Hong Kong on Thursday and was prepared to help maintain the city’s prosperity and stability, state media reported, amid massive anti-government protests.
State news agency Xinhua reported the rotation at 4am on Thursday. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison has a rotation every year, but on previous occasions state media released a report only when the handovers were completed.
This was the 22nd rotation since the PLA began garrisoning Hong Kong in 1997, Xinhua reported. Xinhua photos showed that troops in military vehicles had passed into Hong Kong via the Huanggang Port border checkpoint, while marine forces of the PLA Navy arrived at the Stonecutters Island naval base before sunrise.
Later on Thursday morning, a squadron of armed helicopters from the garrison’s air forces flew from the Southern Theatre Command to Shek Kong Airfield in Hong Kong. Unlike the arrival of the ground force and navy, which entered Hong Kong before dawn, this was a relatively high-profile move.
The rotation was approved by the Central Military Commission (CMC), chaired by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Xinhua said.