Officers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) garrison
troops in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Saturday
conducted its eighth rotation since it assumed Hong Kong's defense
responsibility on July 1, 1997.
A farewell ceremony was held in an army barrack in the New
Territory of Hong Kong in the afternoon, and at 14:00, a number of
military vehicles carrying the officers passed through the Lok Ma
Chau checkpoint into neighboring Shenzhen City of Guangdong Province under the escort of the
Hong Kong police.
The officers are from the army, navy and airforce, and most of
them were assigned to Hong Kong three years ago. Their replacements
arrived in Hong Kong days earlier and have taken up their
respective posts.
The annual rotation was conducted in accordance with the HKSAR
Basic Law and the HKSAR Garrison Law of the People's Republic of
China.
The size of the forces remained unchanged after the rotation,
said a spokesman for the PLA garrison troops in Hong Kong.
(Xinhua News Agency December 24, 2006)