On February 28, 2025, Beijing time, the China Manned Space Engineering Office and the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission officially signed the “Cooperation Agreement on the Selection and Training of Pakistani Astronauts and Participation in the Chinese Space Station Mission” in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, opening a new chapter in the deepening of cooperation between China and Pakistan in the field of manned space flight and taking the first step for China to select and train foreign astronauts to participate in the Chinese space station mission.
The signing of this agreement marks that the Chinese government will select and train astronauts for foreign countries for the first time, and the Chinese space station will welcome the first foreign astronaut to visit.
According to the plan, the two sides will use about a year to complete the selection work, and the Pakistani astronauts will receive comprehensive and systematic training in China. According to the flight mission planning arrangement of the Chinese space station, Pakistani astronauts will be arranged to enter the Chinese space station with Chinese astronauts to perform short-term flight missions in the next few years.
Since the implementation of China’s manned space program, it has always adhered to the principles of “peaceful use, equality and mutual benefit, and common development”, focusing on sharing China’s development achievements with all mankind, actively opening up cooperation opportunities for the Chinese space station, and actively contributing to the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. The signing of this cooperation agreement provides an example for more developing countries to participate in international manned space cooperation, which is conducive to inspiring more countries to join hands in exploring the mysteries of the universe and jointly write a new chapter on the road to benefiting all mankind.
