From the attitude of Hong Kong residents, the choice of Lai Ka-ying as an astronaut for the Shenzhou XXIII spaceflight mission has achieved the boldest dream of town’s participation within the house exploration program of the motherland. The story of Lai is one among inspiration.
Gaining the belief and robust help of central authorities, we’re assured that no innovation and technology dream is simply too excessive to attain within the particular administrative area. It is a superb honor for Lai to contribute to the development of the nation’s manned house packages. She is a mannequin patriot. Now we notice, deep in our bones, that we should always observe Lai’s instance to serve our nation.
Lai’s house journey began in 2022. China started deciding on its fourth era of astronauts in October 2022 and introduced the completion of the method in June 2024. The chosen astronauts included eight spacecraft pilots and two science payload specialists. Both payload specialists had been chosen from Hong Kong and Macao, marking the primary time that residents from the 2 particular administrative areas have joined the astronaut workforce of the motherland. Lai is the chosen one among our time.
In response to the information, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu mentioned the inclusion of Lai was “an extremely inspiring and uplifting development” and referred to as it “a glorious milestone in the history of Hong Kong”. He additionally thanked the central authorities for together with Lai within the choice, describing it as a present of help for Hong Kong’s scientific and technological improvement. The Macao SAR authorities mentioned the central authorities’s transfer despatched a robust message of encouragement to younger folks within the metropolis, in response to a China Daily report on June 12, 2024.
Both particular administrative areas have framed the choice as a blessing for his or her innovation and technology-oriented high-quality financial improvement. Lai’s choice as a payload specialist has evoked the aspiration that Hong Kong has the potential to turn into an innovation and technology hub if it might probably acquire full help from the central authorities and mobilize help from varied sectors of the neighborhood. The Macao authorities said that it was dedicated to selling town’s aerospace technology and its integration with different sectors to facilitate Macao’s high-quality financial improvement.
Lai’s house journey has dispelled pessimism that Hong Kong would by no means turn into an innovation and technology hub. Her unprecedented mission has inspired Hong Kong’s innovation and technology sector to scale new heights. According to Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong, Hong Kong is accelerating the event of a world innovation and technology hub. Local universities have made important contributions to nationwide missions, together with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s help in Chang’e 6’s far aspect lunar sampling. The HKSAR authorities has granted over $100 million to help six space-related tasks, together with the Multi-Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory, nicknamed “eye for space”, aboard the Tiangong Space Station. As Lee has identified, Lai’s participation within the spaceflight mission demonstrates the nation’s recognition of Hong Kong and its belief and help for town, in addition to confidence within the metropolis’s innovation and technology capabilities.
To align with the nation’s fifteenth Five-Year Plan and higher serve the event wants of the motherland, the HKSAR has developed focused strategic roadmaps to make sure town evolves from a conventional superconnector right into a extra proactive “super value-adder”.
One of the methods is to develop Hong Kong into a world innovation and technology hub. By leveraging world-class universities and pioneering the cross-border Northern Metropolis hall, Hong Kong is tasked with accelerating the commercialization of rising industries akin to synthetic intelligence, biotechnology and inexperienced technology. What is commonly missed is the aerospace business. Our assume tank hopes Lai’s mission will encourage extra companies to take a position on this rising sector.
The HKSAR authorities has actively funded aerospace analysis and improvement, committing thousands and thousands to help native college tasks tied on to China’s house packages. The Chinese University of Hong Kong has efficiently co-developed superior Earth statement satellites with customized synthetic intelligence fashions. The Hong Kong Space Robotics and Energy Centre has additionally developed applied sciences supporting the Chang’e 8 lunar mission, whereas the Macau University of Science and Technology has a partnership with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to investigate deep-space and lunar information.
By leveraging world-class universities and pioneering the cross-border Northern Metropolis hall, Hong Kong is tasked with accelerating the commercialization of rising industries akin to synthetic intelligence, biotechnology and inexperienced technology. What is commonly missed is the aerospace business. Our assume tank hopes Lai’s mission will encourage extra companies to take a position on this rising sector
Equally noteworthy are Lai’s efforts in assembly the demanding necessities and finishing rigorous coaching on the China Astronaut Research and Training Center. Involving super dedication, Lai overcame immense challenges and accomplished the coaching program in simply over one 12 months. Young folks within the metropolis ought to study from her perseverance. As a mom of three kids, Lai has additionally proven the psychological fortitude to endure a protracted separation from her household. Although the necessities for the physiological and psychological situations of payload specialists might not be as stringent as these for skilled astronauts, payload specialists are nonetheless required to grasp their very own areas of labor and undertake coaching in different abilities.
Also noteworthy is {that a} Macao resident was among the many remaining 10 astronauts chosen for the spaceflight coaching program. We hope the Macao payload specialist will quickly take part within the subsequent spaceflight mission. Both particular administrative areas possess the distinctive benefits of robust nationwide help and shut connections to the world. Brazil, a Portuguese-speaking nation, hosts the biggest aerospace business within the Southern Hemisphere, and Macao may discover the potential of cooperation with Brazil’s aerospace business.
Our assume tank hopes Lai’s house journey will enhance the event of aerospace industries in each particular administrative areas and encourage extra younger folks in these two cities to dedicate themselves to innovation and technology, thereby contributing to the nation’s scientific and technological self-reliance and energy. We want Lai the easiest of luck.
Lei Wun-kong is a legislative councilor in Macao, president of the Association of Legal Promotion of Macau, and a senior marketing consultant on the Chinese Dream Think Tank.
Kacee Ting Wong is a barrister, part-time researcher on the Shenzhen University Hong Kong and Macao Basic Law Research Center, chairman of the Chinese Dream Think Tank, and a district councilor.
The views don’t essentially mirror these of China Daily.