The Chinese central government backs Hong Kong in strengthening complementary cooperation with Hainan to promote joint development, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Hong Kong's role after island-wide special customs operations were launched in the Hainan Free Trade Port, the spokesman He Yadong said that the central government supports Hong Kong's deeper integration into the country's development and its bigger role in the nation's high-level opening up.
"Hong Kong is an international hub for finance, shipping and trade, and has unique advantage of enjoying the backing of the motherland and the close connection with the rest of the world," said He.
"The central government is committed to expanding high-level opening-up, and the Hainan FTP is a landmark initiative in promoting the development of new systems for a higher-standard open economy. For Hong Kong, the "one country, two systems" principle is its greatest strength, and the China's reform and opening-up its greatest arena. The more open the motherland, the broader the space for Hong Kong's development," He said.
"We will support Hong Kong in integrating into and serving the national development landscape, achieving complementary advantages and collaborative development with Hainan FTP and jointly playing a better role in the country's high-level opening-up," said He.
Central government supports HK in enhancing complementary collaboration with Hainan
Central government supports HK in enhancing complementary collaboration with Hainan
The Chinese naval hospital ship, Silk Road Ark, carried out a medical rescue drill in Atlantic waters during its Mission Harmony 2025, testing its capability to provide medical support during long-distance deployments.
The drill marked the vessel's first overseas medical-support exercise in unfamiliar waters in 2026, designed to simulate real-world emergency response scenarios far from home ports.
It brought together the hospital ship, a sea-based medical facility and shipborne helicopters in a coordinated rescue operation.
The exercise was conducted against a simulated backdrop of a commercial vessel in distress on the high seas with multiple casualties. After receiving the emergency signals, a shipborne helicopter immediately took off under an aerial evacuation plan, transferring simulated injured personnel to the triage area for rapid assessment and emergency treatment.
As part of the exercise, medical teams practiced a time-sensitive rescue approach, combining casualty transfer, triage and treatment to ensure prompt and accurate assessment of injuries under operational conditions.
"We followed the principle of providing treatment while transferring and carrying out triage and rescuing, ensuring that casualties are correctly assessed at the earliest time possible. If a patient is in a critical condition, we must carry out necessary emergency treatment in the triage area. Once vital signs are relatively stable, the patient is then transferred to an appropriate treatment unit," said Jiang Yingbo, a member of the Mission Harmony 2025.
Severely injured patients were transferred to intensive care units for further observation and treatment after surgery. A medical expert group then conducted timely consultations to formulate targeted treatment plans.
Under complex sea conditions in distant waters, the drill covered multiple training modules including maritime evacuation, triage, emergency treatment and surgery, strengthening the military medical ship's integrated emergency medical response, and enhancing the navy's far-sea medical support capability, according to the authorities.
Chinese navy hospital ship drills medical rescue in Atlantic waters
