Chinese, European astronauts to train jointly to survive sea landings

Two European and two Chinese astronauts will undertake an extreme sea survival training exercise off the coast of Shandong province in the first such maneuver to occur in Chinese waters.

Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu and Chen Dong will join Samantha Cristoforetti of Italy and Germany's Matthias Maurer for a 10-day joint training program in Yantai, on the Bohai Strait, in late August. During the exercise, they will be left at sea with limited supplies and equipment.

European Space Agency spokesman Pal Hvistendahl said the drill is part of a larger agreement between the ESA and the China Manned Space Agency to collaborate on astronaut training, scientific utilization and infrastructure.