Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng will arrive in Hong Kong on Sunday for a three-day visit in the Chinese territory before heading to the neighbouring city of Macau, the government said in a statement.

A welcoming ceremony and an official banquet have been organised for the duo who will have a 30-member entourage for the trip.

During the visit, the pair will also visit a space museum and will share their experiences in space with students, academics and athletes, the statement said.

Analysts said the trip aimed to foster patriotism for China a week ahead of a December 4 protest in Hong Kong organised by local democrats to denounce a recently proposed reform package.

Hong Kong's chief executive Donald Tsang last month proposed the modest package which failed to spell out a time frame for its citizens to be given the right to elect their own leader.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was handed back to Chinese rule in 1997, with a guarantee in the Basic Law, the post-colonial constitution, that universal suffrage is the city's ultimate political goal.

However, the Basic Law is vague on when citizens will be given full democracy.

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