China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, docked in Hong Kong on Thursday as part of Beijing's campaign to boost patriotism, just days after the territory marked the 28th anniversary of its handover from British to Chinese sovereignty. Escorted by a vessel from its strike group, the Shandong entered Hong Kong waters in the early hours of the morning, accompanied by two destroyers and a frigate, according to Chinese state media. The warships will be open to public visits over the weekend. Local media reported that residents had already bought all 10,000 tickets for the public tours.  Of those, 2,000 were allocated for visits aboard the Shandong, with the remainder for the accompanying destroyer and frigate. The visit comes as Beijing intensifies efforts to foster national pride in Hong Kong, particularly following the widespread anti-government protests in 2019. Since then, many pro-democracy activists have been imprisoned under sweeping national security legislation. Although Hong Kong retains some semi-autonomous status and enjoys civil liberties not found in mainland Chinese cities, its military and foreign affairs remain under the control of Beijing. The People’s Liberation Army maintains a land, sea and air garrison in the city. (Euronews)