China’s space station to welcome first foreign astronaut

China and Pakistan on Friday signed a cooperation agreement in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, on the spaceflight of a Pakistani astronaut to China’s space station.

The selection process will last for about a year, and the Pakistani astronauts will join in a comprehensive and systematic training camp in China.

The signing ceremony took place at the Prime Minister’s Office of Pakistan. In the presence of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), and Muhammad Yousuf Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), signed the agreement.

According to the mission planning of China’s space station, a Pakistani astronaut will join Chinese astronauts for short-term missions at the space station in the coming years.

This cooperation agreement provides a model for more developing countries to participate in international manned space cooperation. It is expected to inspire more nations to collaborate in exploring the mysteries of the universe and contribute to writing new chapters for the benefit of all humanity.