Captain Zhou Xufeng, 6 feet two inches in height and with a high-bridged nose, was the flag raiser at the handover ceremony of defense responsibilities between China and Britain when the ground, naval and air force elements of the People?s Liberation Army (PLA) entered Hong Kong on July 1, 1997. It is still hard for Zhou Xufeng to contain his excitement when he recalls the moment he raised the national flag of the People?s Republic of China into the sky of Hong Kong.
Five years have gone by. How are Zhou and other soldiers who are guarding Hong Kong doing? A reporter of the China Youth Daily visited the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong to find out.
A huge iron plate shaking constantly like a boat on the sea in the Navy Vessel Troop catches the attention of the reporter. Sitting on the shaking plate, a soldier was aiming a machinegun at mobile warship targets opposite. According to the vice director of the Political Department of the Navy Vessel Troop surnamed Liu, it is the simulation site set up out of consideration of the limited training space available. The officers and soldiers can practice here how to aim and shoot accurately under conditions similar to those they would face at sea.
This reflects the garrison?s attitude to drill soldiers by focusing on the special features of Hong Kong, with a comparatively limited area and overcrowded population, as well the busy activities of vessels and airplanes. With Officer Training Center, Freshman Training Center, Elite Training Center, Military Tactics and Driving Training Center as well as the Simulated Metropolis Training Center, all indoor training courses required by the military syllabus as well as online battle confronting drillings can be conducted here.
A marine search and rescue exercise involving a simulated air crash, organized by the government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) with the participation of the US Army, HKSAR's Government Flying Service, as well as the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong, was held on April 24 off Hong Kong. Three planes of the Flying Group of the PLA Air Force and other countries took off at 3 pm to search for the air crash targets on the sea.
Five minutes later, Du Xuebin from the PLA Garrison found the target within the given time and reported an accurate position to the headquarters. The navy vessel of the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong successfully completed the search and rescue exercise and won two top prizes, drawing praise from experts and observers on search and rescue work from Australia and Southeast Asia.
On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival last year, a group of visitors headed by Betty Tung, wife of Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, came to convey greetings to the garrison. They were deeply impressed by the accurate shooting performance of the Infantry Brigade.
Safeguarding the security of Hong Kong is a sacred duty that Garrison Law has entrusted to the officers and soldiers stationed in Hong Kong. It would be empty talk to implement the defense of Hong Kong without a well-trained army. Every officer and soldier fully understands the responsibilities they are shouldering.
The law class once a month is required for all personnel, and the slogan ?managing the army according to the law? is frequently heard during the interview. The garrison troop strictly observes the regulations of HKSAR, announcing all live firing and blasting exercises one month in advance in the official HKSAR Gazette. Related departments are often informed in advance of aircraft taking off exercises and navy patrols.
The garrison troop has also set up security checkpoints both inside and outside Hong Kong in order to comply with the Customs Law of Hong Kong. They conduct security checks on all people, vehicles, vessels and airplanes, and merchandise, entering and leaving Hong Kong.
The garrison troop abides by the Wild Animal Protection Law of Hong Kong and protects plants and animals on their own initiative. Stories such as the ?PLA cured wounded eagles? and ?military vehicles made way for python? are widely spread among the media and residents of Hong Kong. After inspecting the ecological environment of Stonecutters Island Barracks, the International Bird Lovers Association of Hong Kong said: ?there are more birds on the island since the PLA arrived?.
Hong Kong residents like to take pictures with soldiers on sentry guard. In 1998, a secret investigation team organized by Hong Kong residents investigated every sentry on duty and gave each a top mark of five stars.
?Standing like a pine, sitting like a clock, walking like the wind,? the officers and soldiers never slack in their discipline since the first day they entered Hong Kong.
Zou Xinru, a monitor of an infantry brigade, is an orphan from Jingangshan Mountain of Jiangxi Province. He graduated from the English Department of the Jingangshan Normal University. In December 1999, he left his post as an English teacher to be a soldier in Hong Kong.
English is the second language of Hong Kong. Knowledge of English is necessary for soldiers to communicate with outside and to fulfill other tasks. Zou Xinru?s knowledge of English is very useful now.
Although Zou was not very familiar with military terminology, he consulted college teachers and asked his classmates to collect materials for him. He devoted his time to studying and finally compiled a practical military English textbook combined with military terminology and daily dialogues. Besides, he offered to be an English teacher and helped other soldiers overcome their difficulties in learning English.
?I have learned a lot of things here which I cannot learn from university,? he said.
Beside Zou, many soldiers have learned a lot in the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong. ?During these years in Hong Kong, we realize the importance of study,? Peng Weijun told the reporter. He has registered for an economic and trade course jointly run by Guangzhou Military Command and one university. He has passed three subjects after one year. Navy staff sergeant Lin Haojun, meanwhile, is studying law by himself.
By visiting different barracks, the reporter was not only impressed at the strong study atmosphere, but also surprised at the versatility of officers and soldiers.
Gathering many talented people, the PLA Garrison has also fostered many professionals. All branches of the army have set up various weekend schools to help soldiers master one or two practical techniques. They have also opened various training classes including English, music, writing, computing as well as calligraphy and painting so as to improve soldiers? accomplishment of the arts.
The barracks open day once a year is a channel for Hong Kong residents to better know the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong. At one open day at Stanley Barracks, some Hong Kong residents came to the recreation room of the No. 2 Company. While they were joking in English that PLA was good at fighting, but maybe poor at chess, because they saw nobody was playing the chess there. Soldier Guan Wenlun spoke to them in English, ?Sir, I want to play with you if you don?t mind.? Guan lost the first game narrowly, but won the second. The Hong Kong residents present all applauded him.
At a party for the army and local people, a Hong Kong orchestra conductor invited a soldier to conduct a piece of music on the stage. Soldier Xu Kun from the No. 6 Company of the Infantry Brigade, accepted the invitation and conducted the orchestra in the Second Movement of Beethoven?s Sixth Symphony. The audience was surprised at his professionalism.
Five years ago, a general told the reporter, the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong was the focus of world attention as a symbol of the sovereignty, and representing the image, of China.
Five years later, the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong has won high praise from people from all walks of life of Hong Kong as well as the international media.
According to a poll conducted by Hong Kong residents, their satisfaction rate with the PLA has increased from the original 30% to the present 93.7%.
(china.org.cn, translated and edited by Wang Qian, July 1, 2002)
