Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and a crew member of the Shenzhou-23 manned flight mission, has generated major excitement in the city.
Even before the official announcement of the astronauts going to space on the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft, one small detail had already fueled widespread speculation, the mission badge featuring the bauhinia flower, a symbol of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee congratulated Lai on becoming a member of the country's fourth batch of astronauts Saturday, after the launch schedule was announced.
"I sincerely thank the country for its trust in Hong Kong SAR, and for its recognition and support of the city's innovation and technology community. I wish the Shenzhou-23 mission every success, as it continues to write a new chapter in China's space achievements," Lee said.
Lai will act as a payload specialist in the Shenzhou-23 mission. Before being selected, she worked in the Hong Kong Police Force. People back home are also hoping to see her operating the Multi Spectral Imaging Carbon Observatory (MUSICO), a piece of equipment designed in the city and already sent to the space station via the Tianzhou-10 cargo ship.
"I hope our homegrown Hong Kong taikonaut can operate this locally-led scientific payload, and leverage collected data to support China's dual-carbon goals and tackle climate change. We also expect her to capture precise imagery of the Guangdong-Hong Kong- Macao Greater Bay Area via our special camera," said Su Hui, leader of the MUSICO project.
Lai's journey into space is also encouraging more international researchers to base their space-related research efforts in Hong Kong.
"It's fantastic. And I think that's correct. It's the right decision, the right direction of travel - having a mixed diversity. I fundamentally believe that Hong Kong can act as a global space sustainability hub for China. Based in Hong Kong, under One Country, Two Systems give it some very strong and unique advantages," said Quentin Parker, director of the Lab for Space Research at the University of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong excited about its first astronaut going to space
Hong Kong excited about its first astronaut going to space
Buyers and exhibitors began making valuable new connections on opening day of the 140th Canton Fair, where international attendees discovered the latest products ranging from AI glasses to air conditioners.
About 86,000 overseas buyers from 208 countries and regions traveled to south China’s Guangzhou to attend the first day of the event, also known as the China Import and Export Fair.
Throughout the full multi-phase event, more than 30,000 exhibiting companies and about 340,000 overseas buyers are expected to attend.
Serving as a barometer of China's foreign trade, this year's fair, marking its 70th anniversary, features innovation, intelligence, greater specialization and higher quality. The Canton Fair is one of the world's few one-stop trade platforms offering a complete range of products and technologies.
Among the exhibitors, over 11,000 are niche-market leaders or specialized enterprises known for sophisticated technologies and novel products. Technology adoption runs high, with roughly 64 percent embracing innovations such as the industrial internet and AI. New and green products also set records, appearing at 23 percent and 26 percent of exhibits respectively, with more than 700 launch events planned.
At the "home appliances" exhibition area, a Chinese foreign trade company brought its newly launched solar-powered air conditioner. Against the backdrop of continuously rising energy prices, this category of products is increasingly popular among overseas customers.
"We buy air conditioning split units. We've been having very good feedback from our customers when we were coming here. Everyone is coming to Canton Fair, everyone is buying some goods and it's a very good business. And also there are many opportunities, and anything you bring from Canton Fair, there are very good profits," said Mohannad Waia, a buyer from Dubai.
In order to further expand the market, Chinese foreign trade enterprises are adapting to the needs of different regional markets through product innovation, and their overseas markets are continuously expanding.
"Based on the special needs of many countries, for example, this year we focused on launching this split air conditioner that requires no professional installation and no drilling for the European market. In fact, the industry as a whole has seen quite rapid growth this year. As for our company, we achieved an overall growth rate of 26 percent," said Liu Rongqiang, an exhibitor.
Since the beginning of this year, the import and export of AI products have maintained a momentum of rapid growth. Many Chinese companies in this sector have substantially enhanced their capacity for international operations by developing new products and improving production quality and efficiency.
"Our products mainly focus on AI and wearables. We have carried out product development spanning from hardware to software to the cloud. Through the Canton Fair, we have developed business contacts with clients from Brazil, Russia, and the Middle East over the past few years," said Zeng Zhitao, another exhibitor.
The 140th Canton Fair runs in three phases in Guangzhou from Oct. 15 to Nov. 4.
Over the past 70 years, the Canton Fair has grown into China's largest and longest-running international trade event, with the most complete product range, the largest number of buyers and the highest transaction volume.
Over 80,000 overseas buyers seek new partnerships on Canton Fair's opening day
