Xi praises Hong Kong PLA garrison for city’s transition from ‘chaos’ to ‘stability’
- President visits the Central Barracks during tour to mark 25th anniversary of city’s return to Chinese rule
- This is the second time Xi has inspected the garrison during a handover anniversary
Xi said the garrison had accomplished its missions over the past 25 years and followed the directive of the central authorities in Beijing.
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“In the face of profound and complex changes in the situation in Hong Kong in recent years, the garrison in Hong Kong has effectively served the overall situation of the central government’s governance of Hong Kong and played an important role in the transition from chaos to stability in the city,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
“Hong Kong is at a critical period of transition from stability to greater prosperity, and the garrison in Hong Kong has heavy tasks and responsibilities.”
Xi visited the barracks for about an hour before leaving Hong Kong.
This is the second time Xi has inspected the garrison during a handover anniversary – former CMC vice-chairman Fan Changlong accompanied him on a similar trip in 2017.
During that visit, the Hong Kong garrison staged the biggest military inspection in 20 years, with 20 squads on parade at Shek Kong Airfield.
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Peng used to be a deputy chief of the People’s Armed Police (PAP) and chief of staff of the Xinjiang PAP, with responsibilities for “counterterrorism” in the remote border region.
Lai is the first naval officer to take charge of ideological education at the garrison.
The garrison also is the first in the PLA to have one commander lead ground, naval and air force troops – reflecting the shift in the military to a Western-style joint operations.
Troops at the garrison had been used to a very low profile and had little contact with the city, but that has changed since the start of the China-US trade war in 2018 and the city’s anti-government protests in 2019.
In November of 2019, dozens of unarmed soldiers in plain clothes marched out their barracks in Kowloon Tong for the first time to help clear roadblocks and debris from the protests, saying they were “volunteers” helping to “stop violence and end chaos”.
A commentary by the PLA Daily on Friday said the garrison has improved its combat strength over the years with drills such as maritime patrol and shooting exercises.
Last year, one of the garrison’s air defence squad took part in a live-fire drill in China’s northwest, and recent state media reports show troops taking part in drills quelling riots and terrorism.
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State broadcaster CCTV aired clips showing the garrison equipped with new advanced warships, landing boats, armed helicopters and armoured vehicles as well as new rapid-fire mortar and anti-terrorist weapons designed for urban combat.
There have been other signs of change – the garrison’s naval forces also took part in a high seas drill for the first time in 2015, showing it had advanced from a brown water navy to a blue water navy, according to The PLA Daily.
One year later, soldiers from the garrison took part in the four-day Peace and Friendship 2016 Exercise in Malaysia, the first time the troops had participated in war games overseas, according to Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily.
