China pursues space collaboration

CHINA will continue to strengthen international cooperation in peaceful exploration and utilization of outer space.

Li Guoping, a spokesman for the China National Space Administration, said yesterday that so far China has signed 121 cooperation agreements with 37 countries and four international organizations.

He was speaking at a press conference about the Space Day of China, which falls on Tuesday, marking the anniversary of the country’s first satellite sent into space in 1970.

He raised the example of the 30-year-long cooperation between China and Brazil in the development of earth resources satellites. Currently, the two countries are jointly developing a fourth satellite, which is progressing well.

China and France are also in close collaboration. An ocean-observing satellite jointly developed by the two countries will be sent into orbit this year, which will be used to study global climate change. The two countries are also cooperating in developing an astronomical satellite.

In February, a seismic-electromagnetic satellite, jointly developed by China and Italy, was launched to study seismic precursors, which might help to establish a ground-space earthquake monitoring and forecasting network in the future.

“In addition, China has sold 11 commercial satellites, including communication and remote sensing satellites, to other countries,” Li said. China also launched Algeria’s first communication satellite last December.

“China has offered assistance and services to other developing countries. We provided our satellite data to countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Peru to help them monitor floods and forest fires.”

China will push forward the construction of the BRICS remotesensing satellite constellation and the Belt and Road Initiative Space Information Corridor, Li said. “China will collaborate with the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization to adjust the distribution of the meteorological satellites in orbit to better service the members of APSCO.”

China will also build a remotesensing information application platform with Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.

“China also intends to have a wider international cooperation in the fields of lunar probe, deep space exploration and space science,” Li added.