The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) governments have expressed their gratitude to the central government for supporting and recognizing Hong Kong and Macao's involvement in national space endeavors.
Ten candidates, including eight space pilots and two payload specialists, have been selected for China's fourth batch of astronauts, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Tuesday.
Of the two payload specialists, one is from Hong Kong and the other is from Macao, said the CMSA.
HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said on Tuesday that Hong Kong prides itself on having one resident selected as a member of China's fourth batch of astronauts, adding that he is extremely uplifted and encouraged by the good news.
This will go down in history as the first time a payload expert from Hong Kong has become an astronaut, Lee said.
He thanked the central government for including Hong Kong candidates in the selection, which he deemed a show of support for Hong Kong's sci-tech development.
Lee noted that research and development teams from Hong Kong's universities had provided assistance for national space projects on many occasions, and having a resident make the cut for astronaut further attested to the innovative prowess of the city's sci-tech talents.
The HKSAR government will continue to roll out measures to foster more talents and make Hong Kong an international sci-tech innovation center, he said.
Reference(s):
Hong Kong, Macao thank central government for space program support
cgtn.com
