European news channel Euronews on Monday highly praised China's progress as a leap in space technology when reporting the successful landing of the reentry module of Shenzhou-7.

The three astronauts aboard carried out China's first-ever spacewalk which was "a small step for human but a leap for China". The successful spacewalk made China the third to master the extravehicular activity technology following the United States and Russia, Euronews said.

The three astronauts were welcomed as heroes after they landed, Euronews reported, saying the successful launch of Shenzhou-7 spaceship is a important step of China in the way of establishing a space station and it is a fantastic gift to the Chinese for the National Day which falls on Oct. 1.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2008)