The scheduled visit of naval fleet of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) to Hong Kong from July 3 to 7 has sparked a craze among local people, as the tickets for the weekend tour of the Flagship Shandong were booked out within one minute after the online visit reservation system opened on Monday.
The tickets for the Zhanjiang missile destroyer and the Yuncheng missile frigate were also booked out in minutes.
From June 30 to July 7, the booking system opens at 10:00, 15:00 and 20:00 every day, with a total of 10,000 tickets to the vessels to be issued for visitors -- 2,000 for the Shandong aircraft carrier and 8,000 for the Zhanjiang and Yuncheng vessels.
A series of cultural events will be hosted on board when the fleet opens to the public, aiming to offer Hong Kong compatriots a more direct and in-depth understanding of China's advancements in national defense and military development in the new era.
Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland in 1997, vessels of the PLA Navy have paid eight visits to the city in various forms. The first visit occurred in 2001, while the two most recent took place in 2024.
PLA naval fleet visit sparks rush for tickets in HK
PLA naval fleet visit sparks rush for tickets in HK
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
