People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison

The People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison is a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) responsible for defence duties of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region since the sovereignty of Hong Kong was handed over to the PRC in 1997. Prior to the handover, Hong Kong was under British rule, and the defence of Hong Kong was the responsibility of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong.

As a non-sovereign territory, Hong Kong has never had a military force of its own. The garrison is headquartered in Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building in Central, Hong Kong. The troop strength at the garrison is about 6000 personnel.

Role in Hong Kong
The Central People's Government (CPG) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997 and stationed a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong to manage its defence affairs. Although the garrison has no military significance, the stationing of the PLA troops in the region is a significant symbol of the PRC government's resumption of exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong. It is also an imperative guarantee for the conservation of state sovereignty and sanctuary and the upholding of the region's long-term prosperity and stability.

The Basic Law provides that the CPG shall be responsible for the defence of Hong Kong and shall bear the expenditure for the garrison, whereas the colonial Hong Kong Government before 1997 had to pay for the military. The Garrison Law, subsequently enacted by the National People's Congress, contains specific provisions on the duties and rules of discipline of the garrison personnel, jurisdiction and other questions, to facilitate the Hong Kong Garrison in fulfilling its defence functions along legal lines. Military forces stationed in Hong Kong shall not interfere in the local affairs and the Hong Kong government shall be responsible for the maintenance of public order. The Garrison formally stationed in Hong Kong assumed defence responsibility for Hong Kong starting midnight on 1 July 1997.

The Hong Kong Garrison includes elements of the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region.

While performing its defence duties, the Hong Kong Garrison must abide by both national and Hong Kong laws, as well as the current rules and regulations of the PLA. After its entry into Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Garrison abide by the Basic Law and the Garrison Law, actively organising military training. According to the Garrison Law, the Garrison established working contacts with the Hong Kong Government, and opened the barracks on Stonecutters Island and Stanley to the public to promote Hong Kong people's understanding of and trust in the garrison troops.

Insignia
Personnel in the Hong Kong Garrison wore uniforms different from their mainland counterparts until a new set of uniforms were introduced in 2007. Motor vehicles in the military are right-hand drive, like civilian vehicles, and carry number plates that start with ZG, standing for zhugang (駐港).

Command
The 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 commanders of the Garrions are as follows:


 * Major General Zhang Shibo 2008-present
 * Major General Liu Liangkai - Political commissar of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison
 * Senior Colonel Chen Xuekui -Commander of the Shenzhen Base of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison

Past commanders:


 * Lieutenant General Wang Jitang - Commander of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison

Navy
The naval presence in Hong Kong is limited sub-station with a small fleet of ships rotating from ships from bases in the mainland:

Squadrons
South Sea Fleet Squadron 38081 - a naval squadron of the South Sea Fleet

Bases

 * Stonecutter's Island (Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base) - formerly HMS Tamar

Fleet
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:97%;" !Class or name !width=120px|Builder !Type !Quantity !Year Entered Service!!Details
 * Houjian class ||Huangpu Shipyard, Guangzhou || missile boat || 6 || 1990s || carries five C-801/YJ-1 anti-ship missiles, 1 twin 37 mm Anti-aircraft guns and 2 twin 30 mm cannons
 * Type 074 Yuhai (Wuhu-A) class || Wuhu Shipyard of Wuhu, Anhui || Medium Landing Ship || 2 || 1995-2000 || Two 25 mm guns
 * Type 074 Yuhai (Wuhu-A) class || Wuhu Shipyard of Wuhu, Anhui || Medium Landing Ship || 2 || 1995-2000 || Two 25 mm guns
 * Type 074 Yuhai (Wuhu-A) class || Wuhu Shipyard of Wuhu, Anhui || Medium Landing Ship || 2 || 1995-2000 || Two 25 mm guns

Units

 * 1 fighter squadron at Guangdong Airbase
 * 1 helicopter squadron (Helicopter Regiment - PLAAF # 39968) at Shek Kong Airbase

Bases
PLA Hong Kong Garrison has three air bases with only one within Hong Kong:


 * Shek Kong Airfield
 * Shigang Air Base, Guangdong
 * Shadi Air Base, west of Guangzhou

Aircraft Inventory
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Country of Manufacture ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In Service ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
 * Harbin Z-9
 * utility helicopter
 * 12 - at Sek Kong Airfield
 * upgraded variant of AS 565 Panther and SA 360 Dauphin 2
 * 12 - at Sek Kong Airfield
 * upgraded variant of AS 565 Panther and SA 360 Dauphin 2

Regiments/Units
Infantry Garrison Brigade (Air Assault) (Unit 53300)
 * Formerly 1st Red Regiment of 1st Red Division, 1st Red Army. The 1st Red Regiment comprised the 424th Regiment, 142nd Division, 48th Army (1949).In 1952, the 142nd Division was assigned to 55th Army and the 424th Regiment renamed the 430th Regiment. In 1970, the 144th Division was renamed as the 163rd Division and 430th Regiment renamed as 487th Regiment.


 * 3 infantry battalions (Air Assault/Heliborne)
 * 1 mechanised infantry battalion
 * 1 artillery battery
 * 1 engineer battalion
 * 1 recon/Special Ops Company (named 5-min Response Unit, some of them later transferred to the Macau Garrison to form the a new Quick Reaction Platoon there)
 * Intelligence gathering battalion
 * 2nd armour convoy
 * Logistics Base (Unit 53310) Shenzhou
 * Motor Transport Company (Shao Fei)

Bases

 * Central Barracks - PLA Army - formerly HMS Tamar
 * Ching Yi To Barracks - formerly part of Victoria Barracks
 * Osborne Barracks - PLA Ground Forces - Infantry
 * Stanley Barracks - PLA Army - home of 5-min Response Unit
 * Stonecutter Barracks - PLA Navy
 * Sek Kong Barracks - PLA Army/PLA Air Force
 * Shenzhou, China

External links and references

 * PLA in Hong Kong
 * PLA in Hong Kong - China Defence
 * Houjian-Class Description
 * PLA Ground Force Equipment
 * PLA Navy Equipment
 * PLAAF Equipment

人民解放軍駐香港部隊 Армия Гонконга 中国人民解放军驻香港部队