Prestigious space roles at fingertips of locals

At least one Hongkonger has entered the final selection process for the country's payload specialist positions in the National Manned Space Program, said Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau.

In an interview with Ta Kung Pao, Sun said there is more than one Hongkonger entering the final stage of the selection process, and he is confident that at least one of them will be selected.

"A total of 120 Hongkongers applied for the program, with 40 of them reaching the preliminary screening stage and over 10 entering the second round of selection," Sun said.

He said that the good news will be announced soon, although he was unaware of the exact date of the result announcement.

The country launched the recruitment of its fourth batch of astronauts in October 2022, aiming to recruit 12 to 14 astronauts, including two payload specialists who will be responsible for carrying out scientific and applied research in space stations.

For the first time, applications for payload specialists from the Hong Kong SAR were accepted, with candidates from 11 local universities, government research and development centers, research companies and government departments.

China Manned Space Agency Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang last month said that the selection work for the fourth batch of astronauts has been "basically completed" and the authority will release relevant information soon, according to Xinhua news agency.

Lin also said that these astronauts will carry out follow-up missions with the active astronauts in the space station and "help achieve the goal of putting Chinese astronauts on the moon before 2030."

Also, Sun said the government will set up the Digital Policy Office in the middle of this year, and personal data protection will be part of its work amid recent incidents of public institutions being cyberattacked.

"Those incidents expose existing problems during the development of the digital economy in Hong Kong," he said.

"People need to identify shortcomings, plug loopholes and respond to the challenges brought by the global technology tide."

Sun added the government's plans to implement projects under the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint, which was released in 2022.

"Hong Kong should transfer into a global research and development center first to realize the goal of becoming an international innovation and technology hub, as many companies have voted for Hong Kong to build their R&D centers, which proves the city's advantages in talent and internationalization," he said.

Sun expressed confidence in the future of Hong Kong's innovation and technology development, citing a recent meeting with the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Xia Baolong, in Beijing, where Xia told him that the city should proceed from reality and find its positioning.

ayra.wang@singtaonewscorp.com