BEIJING, Dec. 31 -- Recently the Chinese PLA Hong Kong Garrison is debugging and testing relevant facilities of the Central Military Dock. The berthing of the Garrison’s ship is part of the testing process, said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense (MND), when responding the first berthing of the Garrison’s ship at the Central Military Dock at the regular press conference on Thursday.
The spokesperson mentioned that the Central Military Dock was officially handed over to the PLA Hong Kong Garrison according to the Memorandum of Understanding on Handover of Central Military Dock signed by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the PLA Hong Kong Garrison at the end of September, 2020. The handover has further enhanced the Garrison's ability to perform its defense duties in accordance with the law.
When talking about the dock’s functions, the spokesperson said that in light of the defense needs, the dock is mainly used for ship berthing, marine transportation, routine combat readiness, military exercises, etc. “Recently, the Garrison is debugging and testing relevant facilities of the dock, and the ship's berthing is part of the relevant testing work,” he added.
Tan also pointed that since Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, the PLA Hong Kong Garrison has performed its duties strictly according to the Basic Law and the Garrison Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, and has become a mainstay in safeguarding the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
“The PLA Hong Kong Garrison firmly obeys the direction of the CPC Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and President Xi Jinping, upholds the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ policy, remains committed to its defense responsibility, resolutely maintains Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability, and safeguards China’s sovereignty, security and development interests,” stressed the spokesperson.