China has recently established its own space center -- China Astronaut Research and Training Center -- which grew out of the Aerospace Medical Engineering Institution in Beijing.

Chen Shanguang, director of the Space Center, told Xinhua Tuesday that the new name of China Space Center sounds more formal and conforms with international practice.

The institution had been running for 37 years and trained China's first group of astronauts, carrying out astronaut-related training and research. China succeeded in conducting the first manned space mission two years ago.

The China Space Center has become the third one in the world to carry out independent astronaut training after NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston and Yuri Gagarin Russian State Scientific-Research and Test of Cosmonaut Training.

(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2005)