Chinese President Hu Jintao inspects the PLA Hong Kong Garrison during the ceremony of the 10th anniversary of the HKSAR
Last updated: 4 January 2008
Hong Kong has never had its own military forces. Prior to its handover to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1997, Hong Kong was under British rule, and the defence of the territory was the responsibility of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong. The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Hong Kong Basic Law provide that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) operates with a high degree of autonomy under the PRC governance. Under the policy of "one country, two systems", the PRC is responsible for the territory's defence and foreign affairs, while Hong Kong maintains its own legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, immigration policy, and delegates to international organisations and events.
In 1993, four years before the PRC resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was ordered to form a garrison unit to be permanently stationed in Hong Kong after the handover. The unit was officially formed on 25 October 1994 and became fully operational in January 1996. On 30 December 1996, the Garrison Law of the Hong Kong Special Administration Region of the PRC was approved at the 23rd meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People’s Congress (NPC).
An advance unit of the PLA Garrison arrived at Hong Kong in late June 1997 to prepare for the handover. As of 00:00 midnight on 1 July, the unit officially took over the defence responsibility for Hong Kong from the British forces. The main forces of the garrison unit gathered near the PRC-Hong Kong border since the midnight and began to cross the border at around 06:00 in the morning of 1 July. As the garrison units advanced on Hong Kong’s main roads, local residents gathered along the routes to welcome the PLA troops. Despite the heavy rainstorm weather, all garrison troops had arrived their barracks by around 08:30 as scheduled.
PLA Garrison entering Hong Kong: The main forces of the PLA Garrison crossed the border at the midnight of 30 June 1997 (Source: Chinese Internet)
Headed by a Lieutenant General, the PLA Hong Kong Garrison reports to both the Guangzhou Military Region and Central Military Commission in Beijing, and informs Hong Kong Government of any actions within or around Hong Kong. The combined-services garrison unit comprises an Army infantry brigade, a naval squadron, an Air Force regiment, and the support elements. The total strength of the garrison is about 6,000 personnel, with around half of them stationed in Hong Kong and the rest in the territory of the PRC.
The Garrison Law stipulates that the PLA Hong Kong Garrison shall not interfere in the local affairs of the HKSAR; that its duties are to perform routine defence service, administrate military facilities, handle relevant foreign-related military affairs, and ensure the security and stability of Hong Kong; that its expenditures shall be borne by the PRC Central Government; and that the garrison troops shall be rotated. The law contains specific provisions on the duties and rules of discipline of the garrison personnel, the judicature and other questions, fundamentally guaranteeing that the Hong Kong Garrison fulfils its defence functions along legal lines.
The PLA garrison has almost no military significance, since a foreign invasion to Hong Kong is highly unlikely. The unit is viewed by many as merely a showcase, highly symbolic for the PRC’s resumption of exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. However, under the Hong Kong Basic Law and the Garrison Law, the PLA Garrison can assist in restoring social orders and disaster relief upon the HKSAR government’s request. Also according to the Garrison Law, when the NPC announces martial law in Hong Kong due to a social unrest growing out of the local government’s control, the PLA Garrison is allowed to perform its duties under the direct order of the PRC central government.
The PLA Garrison’s headquarters is located in the People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Building (known as the Prince of Wales Building before 1997). The garrison troops are deployed at 14 locations in Hong Kong, including the Shek Kong Airfield, the Stonecutter's Island (Ngong Shuen Chau) Naval Base, Stonecutter Barracks, Stanley Barracks, etc. Up until July 2007, the garrison troops were wearing specially designed Type 97 uniforms different to the uniforms of ordinary PLA troops.
PLA Hong Kong Garrison troops waiting for inspection by the Chinese President (Source: Chinese Internet)
The garrison is pretty much isolated from the Hong Kong society, with its troops strictly forbidden to leave their barracks while deployed in Hong Kong. A PLA convoy deliveries supplies from the rear logistics base in Shenzhen to the barracks in Hong Kong on a daily basis. The garrison personnel stationed in Hong Kong are rotated once a year. Every year on 1 July, the anniversary of the Hong Kong handover, the garrison opens its barracks for public visits and holds a military parade demonstration. On 1 July 2007, the 10th anniversary of the handover to the PRC, the Chinese President Hu Jintao visited Hong Kong and inspected the PLA Garrison troops in person.
The garrison headquarters includes the Operations Department, the Political Department, the Logistics Department, and the Equipment Department. As well as the combat units, the garrison has a rear logistics supply base located in the neighbouring Shenzhen City, a communication station, and a hospital.
A PLA soldier guarding the entrance of a garrison barracks (Source: Chinese Internet)
The infantry brigade of the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong consists of three light infantry (airborne/heliborne) battalions, a mechanised infantry battalion (ZSL93 APC), an engineer battalion, an artillery company, a recon/special ops company, an intelligence gathering battalion, a logistics base, and a motor transport company. The unit was one the first to be equipped with the QBZ95 5.8mm assault rifle and PF98 anti-tank rocket launcher.
The Air Force branch of the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong includes an aviation regiment equipped with 12 Harbin Z-9B helicopters. Half of these helicopters are stationed at Hong Kong’s Shek Kong airfield, with the rest based at Shigang Airbase in the neighbouring Guangdong Province. The navy branch includes a boat squadron equipped with five Type 037-II (NATO codename: Houjian class) missile corvettes and few support boats.
PLA service women of the Hong Kong Garrison (Source: Chinese Internet)
