Lai Ka-ying, Hong Kong's first astronaut in orbit, highlighted women's empowerment in her congratulatory message sent from China's space station Tiangong to the AI Women's Forum at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC).
Themed "AI Leap; Her Momentum", the AI Women's Forum was held Friday in Shanghai, on the sideline of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the High-level Meeting on Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence.
Through the forms of keynote speeches, fruit releases, competitions, and discussions, the forum explored cutting-edge topics such as the evolution of AI, women's innovation and creativity, talent cultivation, and global governance.
As the forum opened, Shenzhou-23 astronaut and payload expert Lai sent greetings from space, congratulating the forum on its successful opening and encouraging female sci-tech workers to seize the opportunities presented by AI development and pursue their dreams.
"Hello everyone, I'm Lai Ka-ying. We chase our dreams though spaceflight, while AI is ushering in a new era. The world is made more vibrant by science and technology, a field where women have never been absent. Here from China's space station, I extend my congratulations on the successful convening of the AI Women Forum of the World Artificial Intelligence Conference," she said.
China successfully launched the Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft on May 24, sending three astronauts into orbit.
The crew members are mission commander Zhu Yangzhu, Zhang Zhiyuan, and Lai, who made history as the first astronaut from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to travel to space.
Hong Kong's first astronaut highlights women's empowerment at AI conference
The 2026 Qixi Festival Gala, produced by China Media Group (CMG), got underway at 20:00 Beijing Time on Wednesday, marking the annual celebration of one of China's oldest and most cherished traditional festivals.
The Qixi Festival, also referred to as the Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on the seventh day of the seventh month on the Chinese lunar calendar. It dates back more than 2,000 years and was inscribed on China's national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.
The festival's enduring romantic association stems from the legends of the cowherd Niulang and the weaver girl Zhinyu, star-crossed lovers separated by the Milky Way who are permitted to meet only once a year when a flock of magpies forms a bridge across the heavens.
In ancient China, young women celebrate the festival by praying to Zhinyu for clever hands and domestic talents. Today, couples usually spend the day by exchanging gifts and many partners choose this auspicious date to register their marriages or hold collective traditional weddings.
This year's gala centered on the motif of a bridge, linking ancient myth with contemporary life.
A travelogue performance themed around the mythological bridge ran through the entire event, which featured songs, dances, traditional operas and ballet.
A highlight of the gala was a micro-film which explores shared Qixi customs between people from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.
Among the evening's touching highlights was a short film featuring the enduring romance of 88-year-old Chinese radar technology expert Ben De, recipient of China's 2026 State Preeminent Science and Technology Award, and his wife. The award is the nation's highest honor for scientific and technological achievement.
This year's gala centered on co-creation, featuring segments with real couples from across the country to jointly celebrate the millennia-old traditions through contemporary expressions of love.
CMG airs special TV gala to celebrate China's 2,000-year-old love festival
