China: Xi Jinping engages with astronauts on space milestone

This screen grab shows Chinese President Xi Jinping waving to technicians and officials at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center after speaking via video-link to astronauts on the Chinese space station core module Tianhe on Wednesday. Pic/AFP

President Xi Jinping on Wednesday spoke to the three astronauts stationed in China's space station and told them that the project is an important "milestone" in the country's ambitious space exploration programme.

China successfully launched its longest crewed space mission to date on June 17, sending three astronauts to its new orbiting station, in a major milestone for the Communist giant's space exploration plans and establishing it as a leading space power. Xi, also the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party and the head of the People's Liberation Army, spoke to astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo from the Beijing Aerospace Control Centre.

In his first direct contact with the astronauts telecast live by the state-run television channels, Xi thanked them for their work in space in a five-minute call reflecting the importance of the country's space exploration project to the Chinese leadership.

"You are the first astronauts stationed in the core module Tianhe and will stay in space for three months," Xi said during the video call. "We all care about you very much," state-run Xinhua news agency quoted him as saying.

"The construction of the space station is a milestone in China's space industry, which will make pioneering contributions to the peaceful use of space by humanity," he said.

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