On the afternoon of September 23, a plenary session on the special theme of “Development and Prospects of China’s Space Activities” of the 64th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) was held in Beijing. The meeting attracted a great number of experts and scholars both at home and abroad to focus on China’s progress in major space programs such as manned spaceflight and lunar exploration, and discuss about the future overall plan of China’s space activities. Mr. Hu Yafeng, Vice Administrator of China National Space Administration (CNSA) attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

Hu said in his speech that the Chinese Government always takes the space industry as an integral part of China’s overall development strategy, and China has made brilliant achievements over the past more than 50 years. For a future period, in the filed of space technology, China will continue to carry out major scientific and technical programs such as lunar exploration, speed up the construction of space infrastructure, and conduct special demonstrations on programs such as heavy launch vehicles; in the field of space applications, China will further perfect the application service systems for Earth observation, communications and broadcast, and navigation and positioning satellites, greatly improve the scale and level of satellite applications, and promote the development of the space-related strategic emerging industries, thus meeting the needs of national economic and social development.; in the filed of space research, China will positively carry out space science research such as sun-Earth space exploration, improve the research level, and further popularize the education of space science.

Hu emphasized that China is willing to, based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit, peaceful utilization and common development, continue to strengthen the international space exchanges and cooperation, and further expand the depth and breadth of cooperation in such areas as space science research, satellite applications and data sharing, manned spaceflight, international commercial launch service, and personnel exchanges and training.

Xu Dazhe, Chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), Gao Hongwei, Chairman of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC), Wang Zhaoyao, Director General of China Manned Space Agency, Berndt Feuerbacher, former President of International Astronautical Federation (IAF), José Raimundo Coelho, President of Brazilian Space Agency, and Wu Ji, Director General of National Space Science Center (NSSC) under Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) attended the meeting and made speeches respectively. Around 1000 representatives from different countries participated in the meeting.