China Focus: Hong Kong's first astronaut marks 29th anniversary of region's return to motherland in orbit

BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- As the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) marked the 29th anniversary of its return to China on Wednesday, the first astronaut from the city, Li Jiaying (Lai Ka-ying in Cantonese), made history by unfurling the regional flag of the HKSAR aboard the Tiangong space station, sending her warmest wishes to her home city and expressing her deepest gratitude to the nation.

"I am deeply honored to display the HKSAR flag in our national space station, as a gesture of profound gratitude to the motherland and heartfelt blessings for my home city," Li said in a message transmitted to Earth.

"My presence here today truly reflects the invaluable opportunities and unwavering support from the motherland that Hong Kong enjoys under the 'one country, two systems' framework," Li added.

Born in Hong Kong in 1982, Li previously served in the city's police force. In June 2024, she was selected as a payload specialist in China's fourth batch of astronauts. On May 24, 2026, she embarked on her journey to space aboard the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship.

As Hong Kong's first astronaut, Li noted that every day of the mission fills her with pride to be part of China's aerospace program. She also said that the nation's aerospace endeavor is not only propelling human civilization forward but also helping to build a shared and prosperous future for all.

Now one month into their orbital stay, the Shenzhou-23 crew, comprising Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan and Li Jiaying, is steadily advancing a suite of space science experiments in aerospace medicine and microgravity physics, alongside routine station maintenance and cargo organization. Enditem