The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Shandong aircraft carrier strike group visited the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from July 3-7. This was the second visit by a PLA naval aircraft carrier strike group to the city since the Liaoning aircraft carrier visit eight years ago, making Hong Kong the first city in the country to have hosted two active national aircraft carriers. This special arrangement reflects the central authorities’ deep love for Hong Kong and has inspired the patriotic enthusiasm of Hong Kong residents.

Tickets for the July 5-6 public open days of the Shandong fleet were snapped up within a few minutes after they were launched online. Many residents climbed mountains to capture the grandeur of the fleet.

I was honored to be invited aboard the aircraft carrier. When I first saw the majestic appearance of the Shandong and the whole fleet, my feelings could only be described in two phrases: “thrilling!” and “proud of!”

This strong emotion, I believe, is shared by every Chinese who has studied history and is aware of the hardship and humiliation Chinese people endured in the 19th century and early 20th century.

In 1840, British warships sailed into Guangzhou Bay during the First Opium War (1839-42). From then on, China became a semi-colonial country. During the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), the Beiyang Fleet of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was annihilated in the war, and Japan grabbed Taiwan from China and occupied the island for half a century. In 1900, the warships of the Eight-Nation Alliance landed in Tianjin and its army indulged in burning, killing, looting and committing other heinous criminal acts after marching into Beijing. In 1937, Japanese warships sailed up the Yangtze River and reached Wuhan after the Imperial Japanese Army seized Nanjing and conducted the Nanjing Massacre. In 1950, after the Korean War broke out, the Seventh Fleet of the US Navy entered the Taiwan Strait to prevent China’s reunification. Since then, the two sides of the Taiwan Strait have been separated.

Today, China is on its feet again, fast becoming prosperous and strong. However, in the West, there are people who do not want to see Chinese people living a good life in a stronger China. They have relentlessly tried to vilify, blockade and suppress China. In the East China Sea, foreign forces have frequently tried to make trouble over the Diaoyu Islands, attempting to encroach upon Chinese territory; in the South China Sea, foreign forces have frequently tried to intimidate China under the guise of “freedom of navigation”. They have also maneuvered to obstruct the unification of Taiwan, and orchestrated and supported the “black-clad” riots in 2019, a Hong Kong-version “color revolution” — both under the pretext of “defending democracy and freedom”.

China has vast territorial waters rich in natural resources, which cannot be effectively safeguarded without sufficient military might. Aircraft carriers are an indispensable part of China’s “Great Wall on water”. After making arduous efforts for several generations, China now has three aircraft carriers, namely the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian. The combat training of the Shandong and Liaoning aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific has demonstrated the strength of the Chinese Navy.

The institutional advantages provided by the “one country, two systems” framework empower Hong Kong to pursue various strategies and measures to further its socioeconomic development and strengthen its international status

China is a staunch force in maintaining world peace. This year marks the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China, the 28th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Armys entry into the HKSAR, the fifth anniversary of the promulgation of the Hong Kong SAR National Security Law, and the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. At this historical moment, the visit of the Shandong aircraft carrier strike group to Hong Kong is of great significance. The stronger China’s defense capabilities become, the stronger will be its ability to resist wars, and the more powerful it will be in safeguarding national security and world peace.

“The motherland will always be a strong backing for Hong Kong.” Standing on the deck of the Shandong aircraft carrier, I had a deeper understanding of this assertion, with a strong sense of stability, security and belonging.

Over the past 28 years since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong has always felt a “strong backing”. From the Asian financial crisis in 1997 to the global financial tsunami in 2009; from the SARS epidemic in 2003 to the three-year COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020; from quelling the 2019-20 “black-clad” riots to returning to the right track of socioeconomic development, the central government has never failed the SAR whenever it needed a hand.

Currently, the world is undergoing a paradigm shift in global governance unseen in a century, with uncertainties accumulating and challenges emerging in the international landscape. Hong Kong, being a small, export-oriented economy, is vulnerable to external shocks. A strong backing is all the more significant for the city as it braces for waves of external turbulence in the years ahead; the biggest support for Hong Kong is the motherland. In this sense, the stronger the country becomes, the more stable and safe Hong Kong will be.

The institutional advantages provided by the “one country, two systems” framework empower Hong Kong to pursue various strategies and measures to further its socioeconomic development and strengthen its international status. When Hong Kong was reconfirmed earlier this year as the third largest financial center and the third most competitive economy globally, we realized that international capital is optimistic about Hong Kong’s future. This is attributed to the fact that under the strong support of the central government, Hong Kong has set things right and returned to the right track. When the International Organization for Mediation was established in Hong Kong earlier this year, we realized that this reflects the weight of the “Chinese approach”.

The author is vice-chairman of the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and chairman of the Hong Kong New Era Development Thinktank.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.