Hong Kong crowds welcome aircraft carrier Shandong as city leader hails visit
Chief Executive John Lee says ‘inspiring’ and ‘historic’ visit will help to foster a strong sense of national identity in Hongkongers
China’s first independently designed aircraft carrier, the Shandong, sailed into Hong Kong waters on Thursday morning, with thousands of people flocking to the coast and hilltops and even renting water taxis to welcome the vessel and three other warships to the city.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu inspected a guard of honour on the deck of the 70,000-tonne carrier, accompanied by two senior naval officers, and was given a tour of the ship in the late afternoon. He attended a welcoming ceremony in the morning where he stressed that the visit demonstrated “rock-solid” national security.
During the inspection, Lee was accompanied by Lieutenant General Jia Jiancheng, deputy commander and chief of staff of the Southern Theatre Command, and Lieutenant General Cheng Jian, deputy political commissar of the PLA Navy.
“We witnessed the heroic figure of the navy up close, experienced first-hand the grandeur and advancement of the country’s modern military vessels, felt the military’s professional excellence, perseverance and selfless dedication,” Lee later wrote in a social media post.
“This also fully demonstrated the demeanour of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army as a ‘mighty and civilised force’.”
The warship was escorted by the missile destroyers Yanan and Zhanjiang, and the missile frigate Yuncheng, with the carrier hosting a series of open tours and cultural exchange activities in the city until Monday.