China announces an action statement to promote a new global partnership for space exploration and innovation on November 22 at the 2022 United Nations/China 2nd Global Partnership Workshop on Space Exploration and Innovation in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province. Photo: China National Space Administration.

 


China said it welcomes intl partners to participate in its space exploration projects and hopes to encourage strategic communication to involve more developing countries. It also rejects the formation of exclusive blocs targeting certain countries.

Adhering to transparency and openness, China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with all countries around the world and create new opportunities for all countries, especially developing ones, to explore and exploit outer space, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Monday in an action statement to promote a new global partnership for space exploration and innovation. 

The CNSA released the action statement at the 2022 United Nations/China 2nd Global Partnership Workshop on Space Exploration and Innovation, which ran from Monday to Thursday in Haikou, South China's Hainan Province. The event was co-hosted by the CNSA, the Hainan provincial government and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.

According to the action statement, China will continue lunar and deep space exploration, as well as manned space programs, especially the construction of the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS), while welcoming international partners to participate in China's space exploration projects.

China's deep space exploration plan for the next ten years. Graphic: GT

 

China's lunar exploration chief designer Wu Weiren said in a CCTV interview on Monday that the basic structure for the ILRS will be complete by around 2028, meaning it will be possible for Chinese astronauts to land on the moon within ten years.

China's new generation of manned rockets for lunar landings will be manufactured by 2030 as it has made some achievements in the development of the super-heavy-lift launch vehicle, CCTV news learned at the China Space Conference on Tuesday, which was also held in Haikou from Monday to Thursday.

"The new generation of the manned rocket for lunar landings and the lunar lander that China is currently developing will have enhanced functionality with higher reliability. It can send three astronauts into lunar orbit and allow two astronauts to land on the Moon," Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's manned space program, said at the China Space Conference on Monday

The CNSA's action statement said that, adhering to transparency and openness, China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with all countries around the world and create new opportunities for all countries, especially developing ones, to explore and exploit outer space. 

Experts pointed out that the action statement calling for international cooperation in space exploration reflected China's open attitude that each country is equal and has the right to participate in space exploration.

While the US restarted its exclusive back-to-Moon project, which only involved several Western countries, China opened its arms to all countries in space exploration and creation, Huang Zhicheng, a Chinese expert in aerospace science and technology, told the Global Times on Tuesday. The action statement also said that China opposes exclusive blocs targeting certain countries and supports the UN playing a central role in outer space affairs. 

According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China's Space Station is the first of its kind to be open to all UN member states and a number of science experiment projects from 17 countries including Switzerland, Poland, Germany and Italy have been included in selected projects for China's space station as of November. 

As the statement expresses China's willingness to promote international rule-making in outer space resource development and environment governance within the framework of the UN and to jointly address the challenges of sustainable development, Huang said there are urgent security issues that need to be solved through international cooperation, such as space traffic and debris as well as a dangerous tendency toward space weaponization and militarization.

Besides extensive consultation on global governance, promoting action coordination and deepening project cooperation, the action statement also highlighted promotion of innovative development, sharing of scientific outcomes, encouragement for diverse participation, establishment of cooperation platforms and safeguarding of human security.

The 2022 United Nations/China 2nd Global Partnership Workshop on Space Exploration and Innovation featured sessions on international rules and policies for space exploration and innovation, women's performance, sustainable development, prospects and challenges in space science, and lunar and deep-space exploration. Representatives from more than 80 countries and regions attended the meeting, either in person or virtually.