Ex-Xinjiang security chief put in charge of Chinese army garrison in Hong Kong

Chinese soldiers based in Hong Kong demonstrate their skill at the Shek Kong barracks (Kin Cheung/AP)

China’s military says the former head of internal security in the Xinjiang region will lead the People’s Liberation Army’s garrison in Hong Kong, in the latest of a series of moves aimed at bringing the semiautonomous city under Beijing’s tight control.

A brief report on the defence ministry’s website on Monday said Major General Peng Jingtang’s appointment had been signed by president, Communist Party leader and PLA commander Xi Jinping.