Speaking on Thursday at a welcoming ceremony at the Stonecutters Island barracks for the fleet, Lee said the five-day charm offensive came at a historic moment when the SAR marks the 28th anniversary of its return to the motherland and the fifth anniversary of the implementation of the National Security Law.
He said the visit, which came eight years after the voyage by the nation’s first aircraft carrier Liaoning to the SAR, will boost the public’s sense of national pride.
“The Shandong fleet’s visit to Hong Kong this time will allow SAR residents to experience the grandeur and advancement of the nation’s modernisation first-hand and know more about the results of the modernisation of the nation’s defence,” he said.
‘We can even take a closer look of the navy’s heroic appearance, experience the army’s professionalism and excellence, perfectionism and selfless contribution, and boost the citizens’ sense of national pride.”
As this year also marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Lee said the fleet’s visit reminds the public the nation’s stability and prosperity is hard-won, and that it needs to pass on the spirit of not giving up.
He also expressed his gratitude to the central government for its care and support for the SAR.
Beijing’s liaison office director Zhou Ji and Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office deputy director Nong Rong were among those attending the ceremony.
They were given a tour of the Zhanjiang missile destroyer afterwards.
