Hong Kong's leader, John Lee, expressed pride and offered blessings to the city's first astronaut, Lai Ka-ying, before her space flight. He sees her participation as a symbol of national trust.

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...