FEELING THE PULSE OF A NATION

PLA Navy visits to Hong Kong awaken residents’ patriotic pride

My most enduring memory of the past year was the historic visit of the aircraft carrier CNS Shandong to Hong Kong, and the powerful, personal stories of patriotism it evoked from local residents.

Stepping onto the sprawling flight deck of China's first domestically built aircraft carrier on July 5 with a group of awe-struck visitors was a professional and personal privilege I will never forget.

The sheer scale was humbling, but it was the reactions of my fellow Hong Kong compatriots that truly defined the moment.

I remember Kong Kin-chung, a 70-year-old retired police officer, his voice thick with emotion as he touched the cool metal. "This is a powerful symbol," he told me, his eyes scanning the colossal ship's arsenal. His reflection was a poignant comparative study of eras. He spoke of the courtesy and discipline of the People's Liberation Army soldiers, a stark contrast to his memories of the city's colonial past. For him, the carrier was a definitive statement of a nation that can protect its own.

I spoke with Lam Tse-shong, an entrepreneur with deep mainland ties, who found the visit an "eye-opener". His comment, "Without a strong nation, there can be no secure home", perfectly encapsulated the visit's theme, "Secure Country, Sweet Home". For him and so many others whispering similar sentiments as they took in Victoria Harbour from the deck, the Shandong was not a tool of power but a tangible guarantor of Hong Kong's peace and prosperity.

The patriotic sentiment found another poignant expression during the visits of the training ship Qi Jiguang and the landing ship Yimengshan in October.

As China commemorated the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War on Sept 3, the symbolism was not lost on the vessels' visitors.

Student Wang Mengli made the connection explicit for me, noting how hosting these vessels named for historical heroes and sites served as a powerful act of remembrance. It linked the sacrifices of the past — the resistance against aggression symbolized by Qi Jiguang, a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) general famed for defeating Japanese pirates, and the Yimeng Mountains, which served as a crucial base during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression — with the self-reliant strength and security of the present.

Seeing young students like Lau Tszkiu, her arm adorned with a national flag sticker, speak with awe of the disciplined crew and her dream of becoming an aviation researcher, was to witness the pride of national identity in real-time. They weren't just seeing warships; they were seeing a pathway for their own future contributions.

Throughout these conversations, a consistent, hopeful thread emerged: a deep-seated gladness at the motherland's progress, coupled with a sincere desire for Hong Kong to play its part in this ongoing story.

There was a shared understanding that Hong Kong's stability and unique strengths are inextricably linked with national rejuvenation. They saw in these steel hulls not just defensive capability, but the embodiment of a collective achievement in which they, too, wished to share.