HK, Macao, Taiwan scientists welcome to join space station

JIUQUAN - Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's manned space program, said Monday that she hoped more scientists from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan could participate in the building and operation of the country's space station.

After the manned space program was launched, China has conducted extensive cooperation and exchanges with many countries, regions and international organizations worldwide, Wu told a press briefing.

China and its partners have conducted substantive cooperation in fields of space medicine, space science experiments, and the selection of astronauts, she said.

"China is willing to have more extensive exchanges and substantive cooperation with other countries during the building and operation of Chinese space labs and manned space station," Wu said.

China is willing to work with other countries to jointly promote the development of the world's manned space technology and to make positive contributions to the peaceful use of space for the well-being of the whole humankind, she said.

The Shenzhou X manned spacecraft, with three astronauts, two males and one female, will be launched at 5:38 p.m. Tuesday, Wu said.

The spacecraft will travel in space for 15 days and go through two docking tests with the orbiting space lab module Tiangong-1, one automatic and the other manual, she said.