The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison troops in
the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) conducted on
Sunday its 10th troop rotation since it assumed Hong Kong's defense
responsibility on July 1, 1997.
The annual rotation started at 00:00 a.m. Sunday when a number
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.
At 03:00 a.m., the same number of units of the ground forces
crossed the same checkpoint into Shenzhen.
Six military helicopters landed at the Skek Kong Barracks in
Hong Kong in the morning, and later, six other helicopters took off
and left for their base in the mainland.
The last part of the rotation was carried out at the
Stonecutters Island Naval Base, involving the rotation of a missile
frigate and a landing vessel.
The annual rotation was conducted in accordance with the HKSAR
Garrison Law of the People's Republic of China.
The size of the forces remained unchanged in both personnel and
weaponry after the rotation, said Colonel Cheng Dongfang, spokesman
for the PLA garrison troops in Hong Kong.
(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2007)
