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Ambrose Li

The Chinese navy will start making regular visits to Hong Kong, in a move analysts have said will help boost national identity and pride.
Senior Colonel Wu Qian, from the Ministry of National Defence, made the announcement on Thursday after two of the country’s vessels arrived in the city last week for a five-day visit.
“In recent years, the navy has held many open days in coastal cities both at home and abroad, displaying its confidence and openness,” Wu said.
“In the future, the People’s Liberation Army Navy will make visits to Hong Kong on a regular basis.”
The amphibious assault ship Hainan and the guided-missile destroyer Changsha held a series of activities during their visit last week, including deck receptions, open days, national defence lectures and cultural exchanges.
“Between November 22 and 24, Hainan and Changsha were respectively open to the public, and were visited by over 15,000 residents, students and officials from Hong Kong and Macau with an enthusiastic response,” Wu said.
About 700 students also attended seminars to understand the achievements of the Chinese navy.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant with the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, a semi-official think tank, said the visits could help improve Hongkongers’ sense of national identification and pride.
“Another significance is that because of the tension in both the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, the visits of large warships to Hong Kong could have a stabilising effect politically and that China places emphasis on Hong Kong’s defence,” Lau said.

Their presence could show off the country’s military might to residents, especially the younger generation, as the largest navy in the world in terms of fleet size, he said.
Lawmaker Starry Lee Wai-king, the city’s sole representative to the nation’s top legislative body, said the latest visit was “exciting” and showed Beijing’s care for Hong Kong.
“The visits could help Hong Kong residents understand the latest development in national defence, which is an important topic in patriotic education,” Lee said. “I believe that the regular visits can greatly enhance Hong Kong’s knowledge in national defence and affection for the country.”
Hainan’s arrival marks the first Hong Kong port call by such a vessel. Commissioned on April 23, 2021, Hainan is the lead ship of the Type 075 landing helicopter dock class, known to be the largest amphibious warship of the PLA Navy and which can carry up to 30 aircraft.
It can be used as a mother ship for amphibious warfare and can transport soldiers and vehicles for landing operations.
Changsha is one of the navy’s Type 052D guided missile destroyers.
It was commissioned on August 12, 2015, and it is armed with a vertical launching system that can fire a variety of air defence, land attack, anti-ship and anti-submarine missiles with the help of active electronically scanned array radar.
Hong Kong last welcomed a US Navy ship in 2019.


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Hainan, a Type 075 landing helicopter dock, at China Merchants Wharf in Kennedy Town. Photo: Eugene Lee

The destroyer Changsha was commissioned in 2015. Photo: Eugene Lee

News

Hong Kong

Politics

Analysts say presence of PLA Navy ships will show country’s military might to residents and improve sense of national identity and pride


Analysts say presence of PLA Navy ships will show country’s military might to residents and improve sense of national identity and pride.


China’s military

National education in Hong Kong

Chinese navy to make regular visits to Hong Kong, in move praised by analysts

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Analysts say presence of PLA Navy ships will show country’s military might to residents and improve sense of national identity and pride

Analysts say presence of PLA Navy ships will show country’s military might to residents and improve sense of national identity and pride