Hong Kong’s Lai Ka-ying Becomes China’s Fourth Batch Astronaut, Chief Executive John Lee Extends Congratulations

Hong Kong — Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), John Lee, extended his heartfelt congratulations on Saturday to Lai Ka-ying (Li Jiaying) on being selected as a member of China’s fourth batch of astronauts.

Lai Ka-ying is Hong Kong’s first female payload specialist, who is set to depart for space on Sunday night under the Shenzhou-23 mission. She is the first woman from Hong Kong to participate in China’s manned space programme, and overall the second person from Hong Kong to become an astronaut. Earlier, a male payload specialist from Hong Kong had been selected as part of China’s third batch of astronauts.

In a statement issued by Chief Executive John Lee, he said, “Lai Ka-ying’s achievement reflects the talent and capability of Hong Kong’s youth. She is a source of pride for Hong Kong and the entire nation.” He expressed the view that the increasing participation of Hong Kong’s youth in China’s space programme has further strengthened Hong Kong’s contribution to national scientific and technological development.

The three-member Shenzhou-23 crew, comprising Lai Ka-ying along with Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan, will embark on their space journey at 11:08 p.m. Sunday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), one astronaut during this mission will undertake a one-year-long in-orbit stay experiment, which will be the longest duration mission in China’s manned space programme to date.

Lai Ka-ying’s selection has been described as a historic achievement by Hong Kong’s academic and scientific community. It is believed that this will further inspire the youth of Hong Kong to pursue careers in the fields of science and technology.