China has been manufacturing advanced tanks with high technological sophistication, meticulous craftsmanship and rigorous quality standards.
The Type 99A tank, China's main battle tank in active service dubbed the "King of Land Warfare" by the military, features formidable design that requires precision in production.
Liu Weigang, a technical expert from the Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group under China North Industries Group, said that the cornerstone of producing high-quality tanks begins with sourcing top-notch armored steel.
"There are various types of steel sheet, and the ones we use in this workshop are relatively thicker. We use armored steel because it has higher standard on defense than ordinary steel," he said.
In the cutting workshop, digital machines precisely carve the steel sheet into various sizes and shapes as per requirements before skilled artisans take over for meticulous manual cutting.
Liu said that assembling a tank involves over 100 intricate steps and over 1,000 components, featuring considerable technical complexity and demanding high precision in the assembly process.
China will hold a grand military parade on Sept 3 in Beijing's Tian'anmen Square to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
According to the organiser, all the equipment and weapons to be displayed during the parade will be homegrown main battle equipment in active service.
Technological sophistication, meticulous craftsmanship ensure quality of Chinese tanks
Hong Kong's first astronaut lifted off into space on Sunday, sparking a wave of enthusiasm for space exploration in the special administrative region, while inspiring a new generation to look to the stars.
The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 23:08 (Beijing Time) on Sunday. The crew members include Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut and payload specialist from Hong Kong to join a national space mission, whose achievements have motivated many Hong Kong residents.
"I feel so happy and thrilled. This is the first time a Hong Kong astronaut has gone to space, and to see a true Hong Konger, who is also a mother of three, just really touches my heart," said Chow, a local resident.
The successful spaceflight of Lai has especially captivated the younger generation to dream bigger about the future.
"I want to be an astronaut, because I want to discover more things about space," said a young student surnamed Chow.
"I have seen things related to spaceflights of astronauts. I hope when I grow up, I could receive training and go to space myself," said another student surnamed Koo.
To meet public expectations, the Hong Kong Space Museum has updated its space-themed exhibition with the latest development of the Shenzhou-23 mission, extending the display until July 6. Parents are seizing the moment to enrich their children's knowledge.
"At his age, I want him to be exposed to a wide range of information. With all the recent astronaut news, I brought him here specially to see for himself. We will also check out a film about space knowledge at the planetarium. I hope he can get more out of this from an early age," said Cheung, a father.
"We just watched the Shenzhou-23 launch at home with my son last night, and decided to take him to the Space Museum," a mother surnamed Chun shared.
"I saw on TV that so many people were cheering for the launch. When the rocket was launched, fire burst out from its body. I was really happy they succeeded," said Chun's son.
Hong Kong's first astronaut ignites citywide enthusiasm over space exploration
