The garrison of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in Hong Kong has closed its annual „troop rotation“ tonight, according to state media reports. The Xinhua State News Agency showed pictures of armored vehicles crossing the border into the Chinese Special Administrative Region in the dark.
Thus, since the return of the former Crown Colony in 1997, it was the 22nd time that the Chinese troops were rotating in Hong Kong. Also in neighboring Macau units were therefore exchanged.
Against the backdrop of ongoing protests in the financial capital, Chinese troop movements are currently under close scrutiny. In recent weeks, concerns have surfaced that Beijing could intervene militarily in the conflict.
It is no secret that units of the People’s Liberation Army are stationed in Hong Kong. After the departure of the British in 1997, China’s military officially moved into the city with its own garrison. Their strength is currently estimated at 5,000 to 7,000 soldiers.
Most recently, Beijing had built up a threatening backdrop with units of the People’s Armed Forces, which were stationed in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen, just off the border. While state media spoke of „exercises,“ they were directly linked to the protests in Hong Kong. The presence of the units was „a clear warning“ to the rioters, wrote the state newspaper „Global Times“.
Last weekend, there had been a violent clash between participants and the police in a demonstration. Among other things, the officers used water cannons, for the first time since the protests began a police officer fired a shot.
