How Many Chinese Soldiers Are in Hong Kong and What Do They Do?

Chinese troops have been stationed in Hong Kong since the British left in 1997. Usually the soldiers keep a low profile. Months of unrest in the city, however, have fueled anxiety that China might mobilize them to restore order -- as it did 30 years ago in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Chinese officials seemed willing to feed the speculation with hints and signals, including a video in August showing troops just across the border practicing riot-control techniques. In mid-November, dozens of People’s Liberation Army soldiers emerged from their barracks in shorts and t-shirts to help clear roadblocks left by pro-democracy protesters, a rare move that raised more alarm. Many see a military intervention as unlikely given the enormous political repercussions it would surely have. But just the possibility has set nerves on edge.

An estimated 6,000 are stationed in the city at any given time, with thousands more located across the border in Shenzhen, according to Rand Corp. But there may be more now. The Hong Kong garrison conducted a routine rotation in August, but unlike previously, there was no official announcement stating that the level of troops and equipment stationed in the city hadn’t changed, according to the South China Morning Post. Reuters reported in late September that the contingent had doubled in size since protests began, citing three foreign diplomats. The PLA’s Hong Kong headquarters sits in the city’s Central business district, a few steps from the Bank of America Tower, and there are barracks and other sites scattered across the city.