BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The first ever Hong Kong astronaut on board the Tiangong space station as Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship was successfully launched came as a tangible outcome of the practice of "one country, two systems," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday.

Students from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology watch the lift-off of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship via live broadcast in south China's Hong Kong, May 24, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua)

According to media report, Li Jiaying, known as Lai Ka-ying in Cantonese, a Hong Kong local, has made history as the first member of China's fourth batch of astronauts to take on an in-orbit mission, as well as the first female payload specialist from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions to join a national manned space program.