The woman had not received an official confirmation from mainland Chinese authorities as of Friday morning, the Post learned.

She was attached to the force’s low profile and secret technical services division operating under the crime wing before she was transferred, the insider revealed.

He said the officer was considered a technology expert and that she had been recruited to the division shortly after joining the force.

According to another source, the division is a secret unit within the force, with responsibilities that include designing and procuring covert surveillance equipment.

“Most officers in the division are technology specialists,” he said. “They often stay in this unit for a long time, even after getting promoted. They rarely get transferred to other units.”

A spokesman from the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau said the government would maintain close contact with relevant mainland authorities and update the public on the latest progress in a timely manner.

In October 2022, Beijing’s space agency said it had extended recruitment for two payload specialists for its fourth astronaut intake to Hong Kong and Macau for the first time.

The selection process included a three-week recruitment drive, with 14 spots available.

The position of payload specialist requires a strong background in science or engineering, and involves overseeing highly complex or classified on-board equipment and tasks such as taking astronautical measurements.

They are also required to have a minimum of three years’ professional working experience.

They must also fulfil various physical requirements, including being aged between 30 and 45. Men must be between 162cm and 175cm tall, and women between 160cm and 175cm.

According to criteria listed by the space agency, candidates must be Chinese nationals with Hong Kong permanent residency. The programme also sought those deemed to have a patriotic background and who adhered to the “one country, two systems” governing policy.

The government later said 120 Hongkongers had signed up and about 80 people made it to the shortlist.

More than half of them worked in biology, medicine, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, electronic engineering and other fields. Candidates also came from the fields of physics, materials science, chemistry, psychology, astronomy and other disciplines.

Professor William Wong Kam-fai, associate dean of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s faculty of engineering, earlier said the recruitment drive could help to pave the way for more regular, open hiring opportunities for Hong Kong talent in the aerospace sector.

In the earlier “ad hoc” model, Hong Kong scientists took part in national programmes as individuals through personal connections.

In May last year, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said about a dozen shortlisted candidates from Hong Kong and Macau would head to Beijing for another round of screening.

He said Hongkongers who passed the preliminary screening were from government departments, the Hospital Authority, universities and other organisations.

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong said last September that candidates, “both men and women” from Hong Kong, had made it to the final round of the selection process, adding that state representatives would visit the city for further evaluations.

As he was visiting the city to share the nation’s latest projects with residents, China Manned Space Agency deputy director Lin Xiqiang said last November the team hoped to have an astronaut from Hong Kong in the future.

He said many candidates from Hong Kong or Macau were among the 20 finalists in the agency’s latest selection round for payload specialists.