Divided into four parts, the white paper introduces the aims and principles, present situation, future development and international cooperation concerning China’s space activities.

The gunpowder “rocket” invented by ancient Chinese was the embryo of modern space rockets, according to the white paper.

China carried out space activities on its own after 1949 and succeeded in developing and launching its first man-made satellite in 1970. Now it ranks among the world’s most advanced countries in some important fields of space technology, says the white paper.

The Chinese government has all along regarded the space industry as an integral part of the state’s comprehensive development strategy, and upheld that the exploration and utilization of outer space should be for peaceful purposes and benefit the whole of mankind, says the white paper. All space activities in the country have accordingly been carried out with the aim to explore outer space and learn more about the cosmos and the Earth.

Since its birth in 1956, China’s space program has gone through several important stages of development and now has reached a considerable scale and level. A comprehensive system of research, design, production and testing has been formed. Space centers capable of launching satellites of various types and manned spacecraft as well as a TT&C (Telemetry Tracking and Command) network consisting of ground stations across the country and tracking and telemetry ships are in place. A number of satellite application systems have been established and have yielded remarkable social and economic benefits.

In the 21st century, China will continue to promote the development of its space industry in the light of its national situation, and make due contributions to the peaceful use of outer space, and to the civilization and progress of mankind, the white paper says.

In the meanwhile, the white paper says, the Chinese government will continuously support international exchanges and cooperation in space technology, space application and space science, with priority being given to cooperation in the following areas:

— Actively enhancing multilateral cooperation in space technology and applications in the Asian-Pacific region, and promoting regional economic growth and environmental and natural calamity monitoring with space technology.

— Supporting Chinese space enterprises to participate in international space commercial launching services in line with the principles of equality, equity and reciprocity.

— Giving support to using China’s mature space technology and space application technology to carry out cooperation with other developing countries and provide services to cooperating countries on the basis of mutual benefit.

— Supporting international exchanges and cooperation in earth environment monitoring, space environmental exploration, and studies of micro-gravity science, space physics and space astronomy, particularly international exchanges and cooperation in micro-gravity fluid physics, space materials science, space life science and space biology.

(CIIC 11/22/2000)