Largest-ever volunteer group in Hong Kong ready for 15th National Games

Hong Kong has deployed its largest-ever volunteer team, comprising over 16,000 residents, for China's upcoming 15th National Games, with all members now fully prepared to extend an enthusiastic welcome to participants and visitors at the sporting event.

The 15th National Games will open Sunday across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area city cluster in south China, marking the first time for the three regions to co-host the country's premier multi-sport event.

The 16,000-plus volunteers, forming part of the nearly 50,000 volunteers across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao co-host regions, were selected from among the over 30,000 applicants in Hong Kong, with the oldest volunteer aged 85 and the youngest just 15.

They are divided into two categories: individual volunteers, who offer professional services during the Games, and group volunteers, who are mainly responsible for outdoor supports, logistics and other related tasks.

"We volunteers are representatives of Hong Kong residents. Whenever we meet athletes or spectators, it's essential that we show them our best hospitality," said Lam Man Ming, chief project manager of the National Games Coordination Office (Hong Kong).

The volunteer recruitment campaign kicked off last July, drawing an active response from more than 200 social groups, public and private institutions, and government departments in Hong Kong, hoping to provide professional services for the event.

"I believe our positive volunteer image serves as an important bridge, allowing visitors to gain better understanding of Hong Kong and ultimately fall in love with our region," said Wong Ka Wai, a volunteer for beach volleyball games.

"Here in the Main Media Center, we meet many journalists from the mainland and Hong Kong. We hope that through our warmth and hospitality, we can help people from different places to have an opportunity to experience Hong Kong's unique culture of hospitality," said Yip Ga Lok, volunteer in the Main Media Center.

The games feature 34 sports with 419 events in the competitive program and 23 sports with 166 events in the mass participation program. More than 20,000 athletes are set to compete in the final phase.

First held in 1959, the National Games is China's largest multi-sport event. Beijing hosted the first four editions and the seventh. Shanghai and Guangdong have each hosted twice, and the games have also been held in Jiangsu, Shandong, Liaoning, Tianjin and Shaanxi.

Largest-ever volunteer group in Hong Kong ready for 15th National Games

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security