Figure 1: Wang Zhaoyao meets with IAF President 

[CMSE News, Beijing, December 16] China Manned Space Engineering Office(CMSEO) Director Wang Zhaoyao met with the visiting delegation, headed by IAF President Mr. Kiyoshi Higuchi in Beijing on December 16. The two parties held an in-depth discussion on further exchanges and cooperation between China and international space organizations. An IAF flag, which has been flying onboard all the operational manned spacecraft all over the world, was presented to CMSEO by Mr. Kiyoshi during the meeting.

Figure 2: IAF President presents an IAF flag to Wang Zhaoyao 

Figure 3: IAF flag presented to CMSEO, which has been flying onboard Soyuz spaceship, ISS, Endeavour Space Shuttle, Tiangong I target spacecraft and Shenzhou 9 spaceship. 

After extending warm welcomes to IAF delegation and expressing great thanks for the IAF flag presented to CMSEO, Mr. Wang highly appraised IAF’s significant role on uniting the world in exploration of space and beneficial works on promoting exchanges between China and the world. He said that China’s manned space programs are developing smoothly on schedule, and China would like to enhance cooperation with other nations to develop and utilize of space, jointly and peacefully, based on the principles of mutual benefits and mutual respects. Mr. Wang also thanked IAF for its supports on China’s manned space cause and hoped that IAF will exert great efforts on promoting international space nations’ exchanges and cooperation.

Mr. Kiyoshi highly praised China’s achievements on manned space. He thanked CMSEO again for its assistance in completing IAF flags’ space trips aboard Tiangong I target spacecraft and Shenzhou 9 spaceship. He admired China’s active efforts in promoting the development of international manned space cause. IAF would like to be an exchange and cooperation platform for international space agencies and organizations, including CMSEO, he said. When talking about the 64th session of IAF conference to be held in Beijing next year, he hoped that CMSEO will make good preparation for hosting the conference and use this platform to enhance exchanges with world counterparts. He also hoped to see the latest development and achievement on China’s manned space at the conference. 

CMSEO will make active efforts to host the astronautic conference and try to make it an excellent and successful one, under the organization of Chinese Society of Astronautics (CSA), Mr. Wang said. 

Mr. Chiristian Feichtinger, IAF Executive President, Mr. Yang Liwei, CMSEO Deputy Director and China’s first flown astronaut, Mr. Yang Junhua, CSA Vice President & Secretary General, also attended the meeting.