Article Posted on : - Mar 09, 2009

File photo of China's Long-March II-F rocket carrying Shenzhou-VII spacecraft at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu province on September 25, 2008. Xinhua image

HONG KONG (BNS): Beijing has agreed to carry a bio sample for the European Space Agency aboard its Shenzhou-8 spacecraft, state-owned media Xinhua quoted deputy commander of the manned space project Zhang Jianqi on Sunday.

"China is actively gearing up international cooperation in the field of manned space," Zhang told reporters on the sidelines of China's parliament annual session, citing the agreement with Europe as an example.

The communist regime plans to launch the Shenzhou-8 and Shenzhou-9 spacecraft in 2011, a former chief designer of the manned-space project said earlier.

Zhang said that China welcomes and will continue cooperation with other countries in exploring the space, adding the country's space endeavors are always open to the outside.

"China will definitely work with the International Space Station, once the country sets up its own space station," said Zhang.

According to the deputy of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, its important for astronauts to be able to offer mutual aid in case of emergency during their relatively long stay in the space.

"The Unites States and other countries have agreed to this and said they are willing to start such cooperation," he added.

Beijing is also selecting taikonauts for the country's planned first space station.