Customs said that all service members must adopt the protocols of the Chinese-style foot drill for ceremonial events, passing-out parades and other occasions while in uniform as it fully implemented this style of foot drill from today.

It noted that today is May Fourth Youth Day, an important day for the country to commemorate the May Fourth Movement which gave rise to the emergence of the spirit focusing on patriotism, progress, democracy and science, with patriotism at the core.

Customs explained that it chose to fully adopt the Chinese-style foot drill on this meaningful day to show its strong commitment to continuous improvement and express the sense of belonging to and patriotic feelings for the country.

The implementation of the Chinese-style foot drill also demonstrates the department's national sentiment and patriotic feelings for the country while showcasing the demeanour of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's disciplined services, it added.

Customs has progressively adopted the Chinese-style foot drill in training, ceremonial events and passing-out parades in recent years.

This style of foot drill not only enhances the attractiveness of the entire performance, but also helps in better integrating the department into the governance system of the country and enriching the practice of "one country, two systems", it pointed out.

The department also expressed sincere gratitude to the Chinese People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison for providing Chinese-style foot drill training to its officers and valuable advice on adopting the foot drill in various ceremonial events.