July 7 (UPI) — Hong Kong may have designated airspace above a Chinese aircraft carrier a no-fly zone while it is docked in observance of the 20th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army in the city.
Arrangements for security, including a no-fly zone above the Liaoning, and a restricted zone in the waters around the docking site have been made, the South China Morning Post reported Thursday.
China’s first aircraft carrier is to open to the public on Saturday, but visits are restricted to the 2,000 Hong Kong residents who lined up for registration.
The ticket holders had to wait for hours on Monday to purchase a pass that could allow them to board the Liaoning, according to the report.
Those without tickets were offering $25 to $128 for tickets online.
Mainland Chinese in Hong Kong say they are planning to visit the Liaoning. Ticket holders are required to present their registered permanent identity cards.
“I have long heard about the exhibition as it is widely reported in the news, and coincidentally I am in Shenzhen for business,” said one Beijing ticket buyer with the surname Lin. “This visit will be worth it.”
One 91-year-old Hong Kong woman waited for hours in the heat before being turned away for being too “fragile,” the report states.
The Liaoning includes 10 cafeterias, a TV station and a musical band.
Chinese President Xi Jinping recently visited Hong Kong to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the city’s handover to China, but not all are happy with Beijing’s governance.
Hong Kong activists were arrested ahead of Xi’s visit in June, according to reports.
