‘We are very proud,’ John Lee tells first Hong Kong astronaut ahead of space flight

Hong Kong’s leader has sent his blessings to the first local astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, in a video call ahead of the launch of the Shenzhou-23 space flight on Sunday, calling her participation in the mission a reflection of the country’s trust and support for the city.Payload specialist Lai, in response, recalled her packed, tough training in Beijing, which had “finally come to an end”, while expressing confidence that she would complete her space mission.Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Sunday uploaded footage of his video call with Lai, in which he was joined by Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Sun Dong and Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan.