Hong Kong’s efforts to promote patriotic education have made solid progress a year after President Xi Jinping replied to a letter from local students, as young people actively embrace the values of patriotism and cultivate deeper love for the city and the nation, officials of the central government and the special administrative region said on Saturday.

They urged the younger generation to continue upholding those values and look to science and innovation in striving for greater personal achievements and contributing to the country’s high-quality development.

Xi responded to a letter from students at Hong Kong’s Pui Kiu Middle School on July 24 last year, encouraging them to gain a better understanding of global trends, delve into the history, culture and present realities of their motherland, and develop a deeper love for the nation and its people.

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Addressing an awards ceremony for the 3rd Hong Kong Youth Space Innovation Competition, Zheng Yanxiong, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, said under the leadership of the SAR government, various sectors in the city, particularly the education field, have actively embraced innovation and implemented the spirit of Xi’s letter in the past year.

In the chief executive’s 2023 Policy Address, patriotic education was included in the local national education system for the first time. A working group was set up in April this year to coordinate with government and social organizations in comprehensively promoting patriotic education.

Zheng said the visits to the SAR of China’s manned space program delegation, as well as Antarctic research icebreaker Xuelong 2 and the Antarctic inspection team, have ignited the patriotic spirit among Hong Kong students.

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He noted that amid the current international landscape, the high-tech sector is at the forefront of competitions among various countries. Highlighting Hong Kong’s solid scientific capabilities and its vast number of outstanding high-tech talents, Zheng urged more local teenagers to delve into this field to contribute to national development.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu told the event that to live up to Xi’s expectations, the SAR government and the education sector have organized various activities to foster patriotic education among youths.

He called on students with an interest in aerospace and other scientific areas to actively pursue innovation and chase their dreams in order to achieve personal fulfillment and advance the nation’s technological development.

Chik Hoi-yau, 16, a student of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals’ Lui Yun Choy Memorial College, has shown keen interest in the nation’s technological development, and was further motivated by Xi’s letter to gain a deeper understanding of the Chinese mainland. Chik, who had visited Hangzhou in Zhejiang province during a study trip, said she hopes to visit the mainland again to gain deeper knowledge of science.

Li Lai-kuen, who teaches information and communication technology at Man Kwan Pak Kau College, said Xi’s letter has enabled Hong Kong students to feel the president’s care for their growth, and has inspired them to strive for excellence in various fields.

San Yiu-ching, a biology teacher at SKH Kei Hau Secondary School, said the lifting of the COVID-19 travel restrictions has offered more opportunities for Hong Kong teachers and students to strengthen communication with their mainland peers.

During the recent Easter holidays, his school organized an exchange program with a middle school in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province, focusing on the development of various subjects.

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He hopes more Hong Kong teachers can engage in similar exchanges and cooperation with mainland schools. This would help them better understand the motherland’s scientific development and learn from the experience of their mainland counterparts, while creating a better educational environment for the next generation.

The Hong Kong youth space innovation contest comprised 12 events, covering the creative design of space missions, scientific installations and experiment plans, as well as drone operating skills.

The winners will represent the SAR in the national youth aerospace innovation competition to be held next month.