John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), on Sunday night warmly extended his congratulations on the successful launch of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship and paid his solemn tribute and sent his best wishes to the crew members.

The crew members include Lai Ka-ying, the first payload expert from the HKSAR and also Hong Kong's first astronaut to join a national space mission.

The Long March-2F carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship was launched at 11:08 p.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The spaceship then successfully separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit.

"This mission is of great significance, as it is not only the first manned spaceflight mission during the 15th Five-Year Plan period, but also the first time for a payload expert from the HKSAR to participate in it. All citizens of Hong Kong are thrilled and proud," Lee said.

The chief executive said that with the strong support of the country, the HKSAR can transform from a "supporter" of the country's great aerospace endeavors into an "executor."

This not only demonstrates the HKSAR's capability in contributing to boosting the country's strength in aerospace, but also showcases how Hong Kong could better integrate into and serve the overall national development, Lee noted.