By Lin Long’an
Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

President of the Greater Bay Area Importers and Exporters Association

As the Shenzhou-23 manned space mission advances steadily, its crew has successfully docked and rendezvoused in orbit with the Shenzhou-21 crew, etching a new milestone for Hong Kong’s “bauhinia dream” in space history. A landmark highlight of this mission marks the first time a Hong Kong researcher has joined China’s manned spaceflight programme and boarded the Chinese Space Station as a Hong Kong resident to carry out on-orbit assignments. The feat turns Hong Kong’s long-cherished space aspiration into tangible reality and stamps an indelible Hong Kong footprint on China’s aerospace roadmap.

Since the 4th batch of reserve taikonaut recruitment opened to Hong Kong and Macao for the first time in late 2022, the motherland’s care and trust for Hong Kong have been plainly evident. Manned spaceflight stands at the pinnacle of global cutting-edge technologies and serves as a key barometer of a nation’s comprehensive strength. Opening the country’s flagship space station, a premier national research infrastructure, to Hong Kong compatriots not only tears down geographical barriers for taikonaut selection but also embodies the central government’s profound affinity for Hong Kong. Li Jiaying’s selection and space mission underscore to the world that with steadfast support from the motherland, Hong Kong residents can participate in the nation’s flagship strategic initiatives, access China’s top-tier scientific platforms, and share in the glory of a great nation alongside mainland counterparts.

Taikonaut selection follows stringent benchmarks, particularly for payload specialists, who must boast outstanding physical fitness, sound psychological resilience and solid academic expertise in specialised scientific disciplines. Enrolled as a taikonaut candidate in August 2024, Li has completed more than 200 training modules across eight core categories spanning over 1,700 training hours, passing all qualification assessments with outstanding results. There are no shortcuts in manned spaceflight; progress is forged through gruelling drills, repeated calibration and constant self-improvement. Her outstanding achievement stems from robust professional expertise, steady mental fortitude and proven all-round capabilities.

The commission of Hong Kong’s inaugural payload specialist also bears witness to Hong Kong’s rising strengths in innovation and technology. Hong Kong has built a solid foundation in fundamental research over decades. Its research teams from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University developed surface sampling equipment for the Chang’e lunar exploration series and descent monitoring cameras for Tianwen-1 Mars probe, rendering Hong Kong research an indispensable component of China’s space engineering ecosystem. Now Hong Kong has evolved from supplying aerospace hardware to nurturing in-house space talent, signifying its tech innovation sector has advanced from peripheral support to core, in-depth participation in national space programmes.

Traditionally, most young Hong Kong talent gravitated toward careers in finance, law and medicine. The debut of Hong Kong’s first taikonaut shatters such perceived career ceilings. Beyond celebrating this milestone and embodying the iconic Lion Rock Spirit, the breakthrough inspires countless young Hongkongers to recognise Hong Kong’s potential to cultivate leading professionals in aerospace, computing, material science, engineering and life sciences, translating local strengths into concrete contributions to national undertakings and historic development. Hong Kong is being redefined as a city brimming with promising prospects.

Hong Kong stands at a pivotal juncture to break new ground and achieve transformative growth. From the Pearl River waterfront to inland desert launch bases, and onward to low Earth orbit 400 kilometres above the planet, the pioneering payload specialist’s journey encapsulates Hong Kong’s prospective positioning within China’s overall development blueprint.

Experience has proven Hong Kong can unleash its full potential only when its unique strengths align closely with national strategic priorities. Space cooperation serves as merely one illustrative example. The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area boasts complete industrial chains and vast market potential across emerging productive forces including artificial intelligence, biomedicine and new energy, backed by high-level national platforms and major project opportunities.

Hong Kong’s first payload specialist’s arrival at the Chinese Space Station marks a historic breakthrough as well as a fresh starting point. It solidifies the inseparable bond between Hong Kong and the motherland under the successful practice of “One Country, Two Systems”. Looking ahead, more outstanding young Hongkongers following in Li Jiaying’s footsteps will align personal ambitions with national development, composing brilliant new chapters for Hong Kong amid the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Source: Ta Kung Pao & Wen Wei Po

https://m.tkww.hk/s/202605/25/AP6a13b411e4b04773b06eba79.html