China ready to strengthen space cooperation with Pakistan: Chinese FM Spokesperson
China has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening space cooperation with Pakistan, announcing that a Pakistani astronaut will soon join the Tiangong space station. The move follows a recent space cooperation agreement between Pakistan’s SUPARCO and China, enabling the astronaut to be trained as a scientific payload specialist. The mission will involve experiments in various scientific fields, including space radiation, fluid mechanics, and microgravity studies. Chinese Foreign Spokesperson Lin Jian emphasized Beijing’s commitment to peaceful and mutually beneficial space collaboration, highlighting previous joint ventures such as satellite development and Pakistan’s planned lunar rover mission under China’s Chang’e 8 program in 2028.
China is prepared to strengthen space cooperation with Pakistan, its embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday, quoting Chinese Foreign Spokesperson Lin Jian, who highlighted a day earlier a Pakistani astronaut would soon join the Chinese space station successfully.
Pakistan’s space agency signed a cooperation agreement with China last week, paving the way for the country’s first astronaut to embark on a mission to the Chinese space station, Tiangong.
According to Pakistan’s Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the Pakistani astronaut will be trained as a scientific payload specialist to conduct research aboard the station.
The mission will focus on scientific experiments across disciplines, including biological and medical sciences, aerospace, applied physics, fluid mechanics, space radiation, ecology, material sciences, microgravity studies and astronomy.
“China is ready to work with Pakistan to elevate our space cooperation to a new level and give a stronger boost to the socioeconomic development of the two countries through space technologies,” Lin Jian said, according to a social media post by the Chinese embassy.
Lin told reporters on Monday exploring the universe had always been humanity’s shared aspiration.
“We are glad to see the signing of a space cooperation agreement between China and Pakistan,” he said. “We hope the Pakistani astronaut’s entry into the Chinese space station will be a full success.”
He added that since the launch of China’s manned space engineering program, Beijing had followed principles of peaceful use, equality, mutual benefit and common development.
“We focus on sharing with all humanity the results of China’s development and offer opportunities of cooperation in China’s space station,” he said, noting Beijing was open to further collaboration with other countries.
Pakistan and China have deepened their space partnership in recent years, marked by joint satellite development and a planned lunar mission. In January, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding for Pakistan’s first lunar rover to be included in China’s Chang’e 8 mission in 2028.
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