In this file photo dated Jan 1, 2022, taikonauts on board the Tiangong space station hold a real-time video dialogue with Hong Kong students at the University of Hong Kong on Jan 1, 2022. (EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong’s technology chief encouraged local youths to actively contribute to the nation’s growing aerospace development, in a bid to shine on a greater stage with their competitiveness and talents.
Sun Dong, the secretary for innovation, technology and industry, made the call at Pui Kiu Middle School on Tuesday, during an event to honor the school’s winner of a nationwide letter collection campaign to astronauts.
Sun Dong, the secretary for innovation, technology and industry, made the call at Pui Kiu Middle School on Tuesday, during an event to honor the school’s winner of a nationwide letter collection campaign to astronauts
The campaign invited secondary- and primary-school students across the nation to write letters to taikonauts aboard the Shenzhou XIV spacecraft. A grade three student of the Pui Kiu Middle School is the only Hong Kong participant who the taikonaut replied to from outer space.
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Sun delivered taikonaut Chen Dong’s response to the student on Tuesday.
In his speech, Sun also reminisced about China’s first spacecraft, Shenzhou V, which launched in 2003, emphasizing the incredible developments in aerospace the nation has made since then.
He said that with Hong Kong’s deeper integration into national development, the city’s scientific talents, including students attending the event, will have more opportunities to engage in national-level scientific missions.
Noting that Hong Kong students are very competitive in the inno-tech field, Sun encouraged local teenagers to actively contribute to the nation’s aerospace development by getting to know more about the nation’s development, and getting more involved in the field of technological innovations.
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With the young forces, Hong Kong is bound to develop into an international hub of technological innovation and play a bigger role in the nation’s technological blueprint, Sun said.
Curtis Lo contributed to this story.