Asian countries hail China's manned space flight

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, October 16, 2003

Asian countries hail China's manned space flight

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More Asian countries extended their congratulations on China's successful launch and landing of its first manned Shenzhou-5 spacecraft on Thursday, while the media in these countries has given a full coverage of the event.

"China's successful launch of first manned spaceship is a great contribution to mankind's aerospace conquest, confirming China's outstanding progress in space science, and bringing the country to come up to countries having most advanced technology and sciences in the world," top Vietnamese leaders said.

The Vietnam Central Television Station (VTV) and the Vietnam News Agency reported extensively the mission on Thursday.

"The Shenzhou-5 spacecraft safely landed in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 6:30 a.m. local time or 5:28 Vietnam time. Astronaut Yang Liwei is still in good condition," the VTV reported.

The Vietnam News Agency ran an article entitled "Shenzhou-5 mission completely successful," while major newspapers such as the People, People's Army, Labor and New Hanoi set aside large columns to give detailed coverage of the space mission.

"The Cambodian government and the people extend warm congratulation to Chinese government and people." said Cambodia's Information Minister Lu Laysreng.

"It is a historic event. As a Cambodian of Chinese origin, I felt very excited and believe that all overseas Chinese in the world will greet it with great pride," he added.

The Philippine ABS-CBN news channel reported the safe landing of Yang Liwei, China's first man in space, calling that Yang's return marked a triumphant finish to China's first manned space flight, which came four decades after Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and American astronaut Alan Shepard pioneered manned spaceflight in 1961.

Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star and Manila Bulletin, the three main English newspapers, covered Wednesday's successful launch of the Shenzhou-5 spacecraft with two colored photos.

Meanwhile, four Philippine newspapers in Chinese -- World News, Chinese Commercial News, United Daily News and Sino-Fil Daily -- carried editorials to congratulate on the successful launch and China's big achievements in space industry.

Indian newspapers also reported widely about the successful launch Thursday.

The Indian Express said in an editorial that China now is ahead of Europe and alongside the United States and Russia as the real space powers. And it is the first developing country to do so.

China's 20-year plan clearly aims at transforming it into a "world leader in the field of space science and exploration of outer space" by 2020, said the editorial.

In an article entitled "India still grounded," Hindustan Times quoted former Indian Space Research Organization chief U. R. Rao as saying, "it's absolutely fantastic. China needs to be congratulated."

When meeting with a delegation of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Mongolian Chief of General Staff Togoo extended his warm congratulations on the successful launch of Shenzhou-5.

"It is a pride not only for Chinese but also for Mongolians as well as the whole Asia," he said.

Thailand's two major English newspapers Thursday carried stories on China's successful launch of the Chinese spacecraft.

The Nation offered introduction and description of the launch, the spaceship, the astronaut, Chinese people's reaction and even the astronaut's meals in space.

Meanwhile, another mainstream English newspaper Bangkok Post also set half of a page to cover the spaceship launch.

Asked for comments on China's launch of spaceship by the Straits times, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Sihasak Phuangketkeow, said it was a significant advance for China in terms of the developmental space program.

"It shows the enormous potential of China in terms of being a constructive force for peace and progress," he said.

The Chinese people have eventually realized their centuries-old dream of space flying, reported Lian He Zao Bao, a leading local Chinese-language newspaper in Singapore, on Thursday.

"The successful launch of Shenzhou-5 is an honor for China," said the newspaper on its front page, citing Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Oct. 15, 2003 is not only a date to be remembered forever by the Chinese people, but also "a splendid moment" in the history of space flight of mankind, said the newspaper in its editorial section.

The Shenzhou-5, atop a China-made Long March II F carrier rocket, blasted off at 9 a.m. Wednesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's northwestern Gansu Province, and entered its preset orbit in about 10 minutes.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said in a statement Thursday that "on the eve of President Hu Jintao's visit to Australia, I congratulate the government and the people of China on the successful completion of its first manned mission into space."

"The mission marks a significant, though not unexpected, advance in China's technological and scientific development," he said.

China's manned entry into space on Wednesday "is one more sign of that country's historic emergence as a leading Asia-Pacific nation and a force in world affairs," said the foreign minister.

"Australia warmly welcomes the success of China's mission into space," he added.

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