Students march in pride after completing their 15-day military summer camp at the graduation ceremony held at San Wai Barracks of the PLA Hong Kong Garrison in Fanling on Sunday. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)
Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on Sunday urged Hong Kong’s youths to pay greater attention to the country’s overall development, and keep an open mind in improving themselves in their careers.
She made the appeal at a graduation ceremony for 300 Hong Kong secondary school students who had completed training at a military summer camp at San Wai Barracks of the People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison in Fanling.
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The students, aged between 15 and 17, had undergone a 15-day training program organized by the PLA Hong Kong Garrison. Another 300 local students, aged between 12 and 14, had also graduated from a six-day program at the barracks last week.
Lam said the SAR government provides full support to young people, and hoped those graduating from the course would share what they had learned with their peers.
The event was also attended by Tung Chee-hwa, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference; Wang Zhimin, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Song Ru’an, deputy commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the HKSAR; and SAR government officials.
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They watched a martial-arts performance by 300 uniformed students at the ceremony.
Chen Daoxiang — commander of the PLA Garrison in the HKSAR — said the military summer camp is aimed at helping local youths to better understand the development and achievements of the nation and the PLA, as well as allowing them to build up confidence and foster the spirit of hard work.
“What impressed me the most in this training program was the drill formation, because this is a group activity, and if one person made a mistake, we had to start all over again,” said Form 4 student Chong Chi-kit. “It has taught me that unity is strength,” the 16-year-old said.
Another participant, Form 2 student Heung Lam-no, said the program has helped her build self-discipline, and she has acquired the habit of going to bed early and rising early.
The summer camp, which started on July 15, saw the latest batch of 600 graduates receive training in various aspects, including strength building, basic combat skills and laser simulation countermeasures.
The annual military summer camp has been organized since 2005, with more than 4,300 local pupils having taken part in the program so far.
