Hong Kong's first astronaut sends greetings from Space on SAR's 29th Anniversary

Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first astronaut in orbit, sent back a heartfelt video message from China's Tiangong space station as the region celebrated the 29th anniversary of its return to the motherland on Wednesday.

The 44-year-old former Hong Kong police officer lifted off in late May alongside commander Zhu Yangzhu and spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan on the Shenzhou-23 crewed mission.

With the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) flag displayed behind her, Lai marked the anniversary of the region's return with an address to the camera from inside a module 400 kilometers above the Earth.

"On this momentous day -- the 29th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the establishment of the HKSAR -- I feel deeply honored to display our regional flag from the national space station, to express heartfelt gratitude to our nation and send my warmest wishes to Hong Kong," she said in a video published by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Lai, who holds a PhD in computer forensics, has made history as the first female payload specialist from the HKSAR to join a national manned space program. She spoke of the pride that fills each of her daily duties aboard the station.

"The very fact that I can speak to you from space today is living proof of the precious opportunities Hong Kong enjoys under One Country, Two Systems, with the backing of the motherland. As the SAR's first astronaut, every day I am here, I am proud to be part of China's space program. I truly see how our nation's drive to become a space power not only pushes human civilization forward but also helps build a better future for all of humanity," said Lai.

"From the bottom of my heart, I wish the HKSAR even greater prosperity and stability, with the care and support of our motherland. Let us join hands and strive together for a brighter tomorrow for our nation and for Hong Kong. Let's keep going!"

According to the CMSA, the Shenzhou-23 crew will conduct more than 100 new science and application projects, focusing on frontier fields such as space life science, materials science, microgravity fluid physics, aerospace medicine and new space technologies.

Hong Kong's first astronaut sends greetings from Space on SAR's 29th Anniversary

As the year 2026 marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC), figures from international communist parties extended their congratulations and hailed the CPC's achievements in leading China's development and governance.

Jiri Mantysalo, vice chairman of the Communist Party of Finland, who personally visited China last year, highlighted the CPC’s flexibility in addressing challenges from modern Marxist perspective.

"The CPC has been flexible, I would say, to address challenges in society but with modern Marxism perspective in my opinion. For me it's crystal clear that without the CPC, China would not be able to see this kind of development. The Communist Party of China has built and is still building its policy through clear vision of improving people's life and also advancing the harmony between humans and the environment, nature," he said.

Francesco Maringio, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Italy, said the CPC has always adhered to its original aspiration of steering China toward national rejuvenation.

"I think in Chinese, the expression is 'Buwang Chuxin,' (meaning) never forget (why) you started. So, this path from 1921 to now is the extraordinary path made by the CPC. This party doesn't just administer the country, but it steers the country itself," he said.

"It's a leadership understood in ideological terms, (a party) who has put the study of Marxism back to the center of party work, because this is in this era demands theoretically clarity, not just management competence. So in one sentence, the CPC today is extremely selective, increasingly educated vanguard of the society with a clear structure and identity, tasked with steering the country toward national rejuvenation, not just administrating a large and huge country," Maringio said.

A gathering marking the 105th founding anniversary of the CPC was held at the Great Hall of the People on Wednesday morning in Beijing. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attended the event.

Figures of int'l communist parties hail CPC's achievements over past 105 years