The garrison troops of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) stationed
in the
Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region conducted its fourth annual troop
rotation Sunday since it assumed Hong Kong's defense responsibility
on July 1, 1997.
The rotation started at midnight, when dozens of military vehicles
of the ground troops rolled across the Lok Ma Chau checkpoint into
Hong Kong under the escort of the Hong Kong police.
Six military helicopters landed at the Skek Kong Barracks in the
morning.
The last part of the rotation was carried out at the Stonecutters
Island Naval Base. The naval rotation involved a missile escort
vessel, a landing ship and a patrol boat. The rotation was
completed by 2:00 pm after the rotated staff left Hong Kong for
bases at Shenzhen and Guangzhou.
The size of the forces remained unchanged in both personnel and
weaponry after the rotation, according to Colonel Feng Wei,
spokesman for the PLA garrison troops in Hong Kong.
The successors of the rotated staff will continue to abide by laws
and make contributions to safeguarding the long-term stability and
prosperity of Hong Kong, the spokesman said.
The rotation is conducive to the improvement of the image and
quality of the garrison troops, according to Xiong Ziren, commander
of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison, and Wang Yufa, political commissar
of the forces at a welcome and farewell ceremony.
The rotation was carried out on the orders of the Central
Military Commission and in accordance with the Garrison Law of
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which stipulates a
personnel rotation system for garrison troops.
(Xinhua News
Agency November 25,2001)