Hong Kong’s PLA garrison stages biggest military parade in 20 years as Xi Jinping inspects troops
Twenty squads on display included armoured troops, helicopter units and elite special forces
President Xi Jinping today inspected 20 squads of the People’s Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong at the biggest military parade since the city’s handover to China – marking 20 years since the army was first stationed here in 1997.
Xi – who is also chairman of the PLA’s top brass, the Central Military Commission – further inspected a newly established unit, the logistical support troops from the garrison’s Shenzhen base.
During the previous parade, which was held in 2012 for the 15th anniversary of the handover at the barracks on Stonecutters Island, or Ngong Shuen Chau, Xi’s predecessor Hu Jintao inspected 15 squads.
Although the garrison’s home in Shek Kong is also an air force base, there was no aerobatics display on Friday’s programme due to security reasons, according to a source close to the garrison.
“No aircraft are allowed to fly in the sky above Shek Kong because of air control during the parade,” the source, who requested anonymity, told the South China Morning Post.
But the parade made full use of the base’s military runway to showcase all 20 squads, alongside a range of weapons and equipment.
Xi rode a vehicle bearing plate number ZG2017, with “ZG” standing for “Zhongguo”, Putonghua for China, and “2017” for the current year.
