PLA’s Hong Kong garrison holds joint drill in city’s harbour in ‘message to radical protesters’
- Warships, speedboats, armed helicopters, infantry and special troops take part in joint air and sea exercise on Friday
- Military analyst says it aims to show they are well prepared to deal with potential ‘terrorist attacks’
Warships and speedboats joined armed helicopters, infantry, special troops and other combat forces from the garrison in the joint drill.
It took place on Friday, but details and video footage of the exercise were not released until Sunday, via the garrison’s official social media accounts and state broadcaster CCTV.
“The patrol was a joint operation between the ground force, navy and air force focusing on emergency action, troop movements, joint operations and simulated confrontations in accordance with a coherent strategy for actual combat,” the CCTV report said.
People’s Liberation Army personnel from different units had also worked together to “seize and control a wharf” in a simulated operation, according to the report.
On Friday, two helicopters and four Chinese navy vessels were seen in Victoria Harbour by ferry commuters and the South China Morning Post. They included a Type 056 corvette Qinzhou, a transport vessel and two Type 074 landing boats.