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Chinese People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison
Chinese People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison
Traditional Chinese	中國人民解放軍駐香港部隊
Simplified Chinese	中国人民解放军驻香港部队
Literal meaning	China People Liberation Army stationing Hong Kong Troops
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Zhōngguó Rénmín Jiěfàngjūn Zhù Xiānggǎng Bùduì
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping	zung1gwok3 jan4man4 gaai2fong3gwan1 zyu3 hoeng1gong2 bou6deoi2

People's Liberation Army
Hong Kong Garrison
People's Liberation Army; Hong Kong Garrison
中国人民解放军驻香港部队
	Sleeve insignia of PLA Ground Force; units of the Hong Kong Garrison
Founded	1 July 1997; 27 years ago
Country	China Hong Kong; ;
Allegiance	Chinese Communist Party
Branch	PLA Ground Force; PLA Navy; PLA Air Force; PLA Rocket Force;
Size	10,000 to 12,000
Part of	Southern Theater Command
Garrison/HQ	Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building; 22°16′54″N 114°09′51″E / 22.2817325°N 114.1641229°E
Commanders
Commander	Major General Peng Jingtang
Political Commissar	Major General Cai Yongzhong

The People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison is a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), responsible for defence duties in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) since the handover of Hong Kong in 1997.

The garrison is headquartered in Chinese People's Liberation Army Forces Hong Kong Building in Central, Hong Kong. The size of the Hong Kong garrison is approximately 10,000–12,000 personnel, including members of the People's Armed Police, People's Liberation Army Navy, People's Liberation Army Air Force, and People's Liberation Army Ground Force.^[4]

Prior to the handover in 1997, the territory was under British rule, and the defence of the territory was the responsibility of the British Forces Overseas Hong Kong, with auxiliary help from the Royal Hong Kong Regiment.

Role in Hong Kong

The People's Republic of China (PRC) assumed sovereignty over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997 and the Central People's Government (CPG) stationed a garrison of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in Hong Kong to manage the defense affairs of the territory. While the garrison has been considered primarily symbolic of Beijing's governance over Hong Kong, it is nevertheless asserted to be a combat-ready force.^[5]

The Basic Law upon the territory provides that the CPG shall be responsible for the defense 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 from midnight onwards 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 the administrative control of the adjacent Southern Theater Command.

While performing its defense 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, according to the Garrison Law, a PRC law. After its entry into Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Garrison abide by the Basic Law and the Garrison Law, actively organizing 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 forces and their personnel. Annual open house events are held to showcase the assets and combat readiness of the garrison personnel. Garrison troop rotations are also routine.^[6]^[7]

In early 2022, Chairman of the Central Military Commission Xi Jinping, appointed Major General Peng Jingtang, a former People's Armed Police paramilitary commander, to lead the PLA garrison in Hong Kong.^[8]

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 in Hong Kong, and carry number plates that start with ZG, standing for zhùgǎng (驻港/駐港), Chinese for "[stationed] in Hong Kong."

Command

The Hong Kong Garrison reports to both the Southern Theater Command and Central Military Commission in Beijing, and informs Hong Kong Government of any actions within or around Hong Kong.

Garrison Commanders

Lt. General Liu Zhenwu 1997–1999 (appointed 1994)
Lt. General Xiong Ziren 1999–2003^[9]
Lt. General Wang Jitang 2003–2007
Lt. General Zhang Shibo 2007–2012
Lt. General Wang Xiaojun 2012–2014
Lt. General Tan Benhong 2014–2019
Maj. General Chen Daoxiang 2019–2022
Maj. General Peng Jingtang 2022–present

Political Commissars

Maj. General Xiong Ziren 1997–1999
Maj. General Wang Yufa 1999–2003
Maj. General Liu Liangkai 2003–2005
Lt. General Zhang Rucheng 2005–2007
Lt. General Liu Liangkai 2007–2010, second term
Lt. General Wang Zengbo 2010–2012
Lt. General Yue Shixin 2012–2018
Maj. General Cai Yongzhong 2018–present

Properties

There are 19 sites occupied by the Garrison across Hong Kong. According to a Reuters investigation, many of these sites are run down and not fully utilised, which has caused some to argue that the land should be returned and used for housing.^[10] The Tsing Shan firing range occupies approximately 80% of the 2,750 hectares of land managed by the PLA.^[11]^[12]

A secret 20th site is a radar facility in Tai Mo Shan, which was discovered in 2014, without the PLA informing the public, as required by the Garrison Law.^[13] It was not publicly recognized by the Hong Kong government until 2021.^[14]

The Commander lives on The Peak at Headquarters House, 11 Barker Road. Other property owned by the Garrison includes the United Services Recreation Club.

Army

Regiments/Units

Infantry Garrison Brigade (Air Assault) (Unit 53300)

Formerly the 1st Red Regiment of 1st Red Division, 1st Red Army. In 1949, the regiment comprised the 424th Regiment, 142nd Division, 48th Army. 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.

PLA Hong Kong Garrison Honour Guard Battalion
3 infantry battalions (Air Assault/Heliborne)
1 mechanized infantry battalion
1 artillery battery
1 engineer battalion
1 reconnaissance/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)
1 intelligence gathering battalion
1 Armour Convoy
1 Logistics Base, Shenzhen. (Unit 53310)^[15]
1 Motor Transport Company, Shao Fei

Bases

Bases within Hong Kong are former British facilities namely from the British Army:

Central Barracks – PLA Ground Force – formerly HMS Tamar
Ching Yi To Barracks – formerly part of Victoria Barracks and renamed from Queen's Lines Barracks
Kowloon East Barracks – formerly Osborn Barracks
Stanley Barracks – PLA Ground Force – home of 5-min Response Unit
- Chek Chue Barracks
Western Barracks – 88 Bonham Road– formerly Bonham Tower Barracks
Stonecutter Barracks – PLA Navy
Shek Kong Airfield, Shek Kong Barracks – PLA Air Force.
- Northern Compound – formerly Borneo Lines
- Southern Compound – formerly Malaya Lines
San Tin Barracks – formerly Cassino Lines
Tam Mei Barracks – Ngau Tam Mei in Yuen Long
Gallipoli Lines – Sha Tau Kok Road in Fanling, formerly San Wai Camp
- San Wai/Tai Ling Range
Burma Lines - also known as Queen's Hill Camp
Gun Club Hill Barracks Kowloon – home to PLA Garrison Hospital

Equipment

Model	Type	Number	Dates	Manufacturer	Details
Type 92	6 wheeled armored personnel carrier	21	1980s	Norinco	With 12.7mm machine gun
Type 56C	7.62 mm assault rifle	N/A	N/A	Norinco
Type 88	5.8 mm sniper rifle	N/A	N/A	Norinco
CS/LR4	7.62 mm sniper rifle	N/A	N/A	Norinco
QBZ-191	5.8 mm automatic assault rifle	N/A	N/A	Norinco
QBZ-95	5.8 mm automatic assault rifle	N/A	N/A	Norinco
QBZ-03	5.8 mm automatic assault rifle	N/A	N/A	Norinco
QCW-05	submachine gun	N/A	N/A	Norinco
Type 87 grenade launcher	grenade launcher	N/A	N/A	Norinco
Type 95 Squad Machine Gun	Light machine gun	N/A	N/A	Norinco
Type 92 pistol	pistol	N/A	N/A	Norinco
Jiefang CA-30	utility truck	N/A	N/A	First Automotive Works, Changchun
Dongfeng EQ2050	Military light utility vehicle	N/A	2010		Chinese copy of HMMWV
JH600 Duke	motorcycle	N/A	N/A	Jialing

Navy

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

Squadrons

Squadron 38081 – a naval squadron of the South Sea Fleet

Bases

Stonecutter's Island (Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base) – formerly HMS Tamar
Wan Chai navy base; near central barracks
Tai O Barracks, Shek Tsai Po – formerly Naval Coastal Observation Station, Tai O

Fleet

Various ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy visit the base, but only a few ships remain on semi-permanent basis.

Class or name	Builder	Type	Quantity	Year Entered Service	Details
Type 056 Jiangdao class	Huangpu Shipyard, Guangzhou, Guangdong	Corvette	2	2013	596 惠州 / Huizhou 597 钦州 / Qinzhou 1 × AK-176 76 mm. gun 2 × 30 mm. cannon 2× 2-cell YJ-83 anti-ship missiles, amidships 1 × 8-cell FL-3000N SAM launcher 2 × triple 324 mm. torpedo tubes
Type 074-II Yuhai class	Wuhu Shipyard of Wuhu, Anhui	Medium Landing Ship	3	2017-8	3357, 3358, and 3359 Two 25 mm guns
Type 721	Guangxi Guiyang shipyard	Light transport boat	2	1990s	42 meters long, 8.8 meters wide and 2.14 meters tall. It has a full displacement of 140 tons, a speed of 33 knots and a maximum range of 300 nautical miles. It can carry 70 people and 2 tons of materials.

Air Force

Units

1 helicopter squadron (PLAAF # 39968) at local Shek Kong Airbase
1 fighter squadron at Guangdong Airbase

Bases

PLA Hong Kong Garrison has three airbases, with two of these within Hong Kong:

Shek Kong Airfield, Hong Kong
Shadi Air Base, west of Guangzhou, Guangdong
Joint Movement Unit, Chek Lap Kok – Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong

Aircraft Inventory

Aircraft	Country of Manufacture	Type	In Service	Notes
Harbin Z-9	China	utility helicopter	12 – at Shek Kong Airfield	upgraded variant of AS 565 Panther and SA 360 Dauphin 2
Changhe Z-8KH	China	search and rescue helicopter	4 – at Shek Kong Airfield	Licensed version of Aérospatiale SA 321 Super Frelon