LAHORE/BEIJING – China and Pakistan have signed an agreement on spaceexploration, marking a new phase in space science cooperation includingmanned missions between the all-weather allies, the China National SpaceAdministration (CNSA) said in a statement on Monday.
According to the statement, the pact was signed during the visit of PrimeMinister Imran Khan to China for the 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF).
The space agreement will serve as a high-level foundation for cooperationin space science and exploration. Both nations will conduct scientific andtechnological experiments, astronaut training, along with manned spaceapplications and achievement transformation, official media quoted the CNSAstatement as saying on Monday.
“The Pakistan – China agreement also comes close on the heels of India’sAnti-Satellite (ASAT) Missile test last month”, reported Indian media.
Under the agreement, the CNSA and the Pakistan Space and Upper AtmosphereResearch Commission will establish a China-Pakistan space committee chairedby top officials from both sides to address future collaborative issues.
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China has advanced space programme with successful manned missions besidesexploration missions to Moon. China is also building its space stationwhich was expected to be ready by 2022. It has also unveiled plans to sendspacecraft to Mars and Jupiter.
“The newly-signed space exploration agreement between China and Pakistan onmanned space missions manifests their more profound cooperation on thepeaceful use of outer space,” state-run Global Times quoted experts assaying.
“China-Pakistan space cooperation will help Pakistan in terms of satellitemonitoring of natural disasters and agricultural production, land andresources surveying, and waste handling in a microgravity environment,” Lansaid, adding that China will also benefit from the cooperation, includingfor commercial applications of space technology, investment security andcounter-terrorism.
