06/06/2022

One Belt One Road” (OBOR) 一带一路

Update 19 Oct 2023: The "One Belt, One Road" initiative 一带一路

One Belt, One Road OBOR or the Belt and Road Initiative BRI is a development strategy and framework, proposed by Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among countries primarily between the People's Republic of China and the rest of Eurasia.

It consists of two main components, the land-based "Silk Road Economic Belt" and the ocean going "Maritime Silk Road".

The strategy underlines China's push to take a bigger role in global affairs, and its need for priority capacity cooperation in areas such as steel manufacturing.


Shanghai launches its 50th China-Europe freight train

The 50th "Shanghai Express" of the China-Europe freight train officially departed from Shanghai on Wednesday, one year after it was first launched.


China-Europe freight train from Turkmenistan arrives at China's Xi'an
China-Europe freight train service takes18 days compared to 35 days using marine shipping

A China-Europe freight train arrives at Xi'an international port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Aug. 31, 2022. The freight train loaded with raw materials of liquorice, a Chinese medicinal herb, which departed from Turkmenistan, arrived at the Xi'an international port in Shaanxi Province on Wednesday.


Belt and Road Initiative, a boost to global development
One Belt One Road Documentary: Finance and Connectivity

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Belt and Road Initiative. To date, 149 countries and 32 international organizations have joined the initiative, which is now becoming "a belt of prosperity" and "a road to happiness" benefiting people across the globe.


Ten years of practicing the entrustment "The construction of 'the Belt and Road' is what people want"
One Belt One Road Documentary: Road to Prosperity

"The construction of the 'Belt and Road' is the aspiration of the people, and we will promote the great opening and development under this framework." Carrying out Yin Yin's entrustment, Guangxi seizes development opportunities and jointly builds a new land-sea passage in the west at a high level.

In September 2017, a "new artery" running through western China attracted the world's attention, which is the new channel for China-Singapore interconnection and international land-sea trade. Southwestern provinces such as Chongqing and Guizhou have also achieved interoperability with ASEAN through the coastal ports of Guangxi, and connected Central Asia and Europe to the north through the China-Europe freight train, forming a complete “One Belt, One Road” loop. At present, the provinces covered by the new western land-sea channel sea-rail intermodal trains have expanded from 4 in 2017 to 14, and the annual number of trains has increased from 178 to 6,117, with an average annual increase of 142%.

"In April 2017, General Secretary Xi Jinping inspected and learned about the construction of the China-ASEAN Information Harbor." Lu Dongliang, chairman of China-ASEAN Information Harbor Co., Ltd., introduced that in September of that year, the China-ASEAN "Business Link" digital platform Construction has started, and it has covered 13 mutual market points, 16 port service centers, 9 settlement banks and two third-party payment companies in Chongzuo, Dongxing, and Baise, with a transaction volume of over 100 billion yuan. "We are striving to build an international information and communication hub and computing power center for ASEAN, promote digital interconnection, and build a digital silk road." Lu Dongliang said.


Belt and Road Initiative
As of 23 Mar 2022, 215 cooperation documents have been signed with 149 countries & 32 international organisations

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI, or B&R[1]), formerly known as One Belt One Road (Chinese: 一带一路) or OBOR for short, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in nearly 70 countries and international organizations.[2][3] It is considered a centerpiece of the Chinese leader Xi Jinping's foreign policy.[4] The BRI forms a central component of Xi's "Major Country Diplomacy" (Chinese: 大国外交) strategy, which calls for China to assume a greater leadership role for global affairs in accordance with its rising power and status. As of 23 March 2022, 215 cooperation documents have been signed with 149 countries and 32 international organisations.

Xi originally announced the strategy as the "Silk Road Economic Belt" during an official visit to Kazakhstan in September 2013. "Belt" is short for the "Silk Road Economic Belt," referring to the proposed overland routes for road and rail transportation through landlocked Central Asia along the famed historical trade routes of the Western Regions; whereas "road" is short for the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road", referring to the Indo-Pacific sea routes through Southeast Asia to South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Examples of Belt and Road Initiative infrastructure investments include ports, skyscrapers, railroads, roads, bridges, airports, dams, coal-fired power stations, and railroad tunnels.

The initiative was incorporated into the Constitution of China in 2017. The Chinese government calls the initiative "a bid to enhance regional connectivity and embrace a brighter future." The project has a target completion date of 2049, which will coincide with the centennial of the People's Republic of China (PRC)'s founding. Supporters praise the BRI for its potential to boost the global GDP, particularly in developing countries. However, there has also been criticism over human rights violations and environmental impact, as well as concerns of debt-trap diplomacy resulting in neocolonialism and economic imperialism.


Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

In March 2022, the number of countries that have joined the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China is 146*.

The countries of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) are spread across all continents:
  • 43 countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • 34 BRI countries are in Europe & Central Asia (including 18 countries of the European Union (EU) that are part of the BRI)
  • 25 BRI countries are in East Asia & pacific
  • 20 BRI countries are in Latin America & Caribbean
  • 18 BRI countries in Middle East & North Africa
  • 6 countries are in South East Asia

*For some countries that are listed as having signed an MoU for the BRI, the availability of independent information is contradictory. For example, the seven countries of Austria, Benin, Comoros, Congo D.R., Dominica, Niger and Russian Federation have not published a confirmation of signing a full MoU or even denied it. These countries are listed as “unclear” in the following map of countries of the Belt and Road Initiative.


China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

The BRI is an ambitious plan to develop two new trade routes connecting China with the rest of the world. But the initiative is about far more than infrastructure.

It is an effort to develop an expanded, interdependent market for China, grow China’s economic and political power, and create the right conditions for China to build a high technology economy.

Why create the Belt and Road? There are three main motivations for the BRI:
  • The first, and most discussed internationally, is China’s rivalry with the US. The vast majority of Chinese international trade passes by sea through the Malacca strait off the coast of Singapore which is a major US ally. The initiative is integral to China’s efforts to create its own more secure trade routes. There is no doubt that China’s intention is also to make participating nations interdependent with the Chinese economy, and thereby build economic and political influence for China. In that respect it has similarities with the Marshall Plan that followed the Second World War – but with the essential difference that China dispenses funding to other nations based purely on shared economic interests.
  • The second key reason for the initiative is the legacy of the 2008 financial crisis. China’s government responded to the emergency with a ¥4tn stimulus package, issuing contracts to build railways, bridges, and airports, but saturated the Chinese market in the process. The Belt and Road framework provides an alternative market for China’s vast state-owned companies beyond the borders of China.
  • Finally, the Belt and Road is seen as a crucial element in the Chinese government’s efforts to stimulate economies of the country’s central provinces, which historically lag behind richer coastal areas. The government uses the Belt and Road to encourage and support businesses in these central regions, allocating budget generously, and encouraging businesses to compete for Belt and Road contracts.


China’s Belt And Road Initiative: All Participating Countries By Income Group

China’s Belt & Road Initiative has evolved from being purely about infrastructure build projects to about supply chain development. Many of the 2,500 projects that China has assisted with either financing, or building, or both are now coming to fruition. As I explained in the example of Sri Lanka’s Colombo Port City the completed infrastructure asset is now giving rise to new opportunities for global investors. These range from the appreciation of property builds, to new facilities for numerous service industries. In the Colombo Port City example, these range from the daily requirements of office workers and commuters, to businesses themselves – Colombo is highly likely to develop as a lower cost back-office centre to compete with nearby Singapore as an example.

Assessing where appropriate opportunities lie and the relevant domestic consumer strength in each market requires an understanding of the local dynamics. In the chart below we list all countries (as at October 2020) that have signed MoU with China concerning the Belt & Road Initiative. We explained what these MoU typically contain in the article Understanding China’s Belt & Road MoU referencing an example. More recently, data released by China’s State Information Centre shows that China now imports more goods from countries that have signed up to the Belt & Road Initiative than it exports.

Investors looking at supplying China from BRI countries, and investing in them directly may use the following data to assess the regional income levels of each. These have been taken from the World Bank rankings in terms of categorization of each countries field income group, and are globally spread as follows:
  • 34 countries are in Europe & Central Asia (including 18 countries of the European Union) - See also: European Union Businesses And The Belt And Road Initiative – A Guide To Changing The Modus Operandi And Getting Involved and The Belt & Road Initiative In Central Asia
  • 6 countries are in South East Asia - See also: Investing In Emerging Belt & Road Initiative Stock Markets: South-East Asia
  • 25 countries are in East Asia & The Pacific - See also: China’s Belt & Road Initiative In The Pacific Islands
  • 38 countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa - See also: Africa Needs China’s Belt & Road Initiative To Assist With Growth & Trade Potential
  • 17 countries are in the Middle East & North Africa - See also: Belt & Road Financing & Investment To Expand In Key Middle East Logistics Hubs
  • 18 countries are in Latin America & Caribbean - See also: China’s Belt & Road Initiative And South America


Belt and Road Initiative

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asia faces an infrastructure funding gap of estimated USD 26 trillion through 2030. To address this gap, various regional and sub-regional initiatives aim to develop better transport connectivity within Asia. This includes, among others, the Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) Connectivity initiative, the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program, the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (GMS) Cooperation Program, the South Asia Sub-regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Program, and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). BRI is a transcontinental long-term policy and investment program which aims at infrastructure development and acceleration of the economic integration of countries along the route of the historic Silk Road. The Initiative was unveiled in 2013 by China`s president Xi Jinping and until 2016, was known as OBOR – One Belt One Road. On March 28, 2015, the official outline for the Belt and Road Initiative was issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) of the People`s Republic of China (PRC), with authorization of the State Council.

Aims of the Belt and Road Initiative - According to the official outline, BRI aims to “promote the connectivity of Asian, European and African continents and their adjacent seas, establish and strengthen partnerships among the countries along the Belt and Road, set up all-dimensional, multi-tiered and composite connectivity networks, and realize diversified, independent, balanced and sustainable development in these countries.” BRI is a global initiative but by its nature of building on the historic Silk Road puts a major focus on countries in Asia, Eastern Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, a region mainly composed of emerging markets. According to the Belt and Road Portal, currently 71 countries are taking part in the Initiative, together representing more than a third of the world`s GDP and two thirds of the world`s population.

The Belt and Road Initiative combines two initiatives:
  • The (land based) Silk Road Economic Belt, comprising six development corridors
  • The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road

Countries in China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Who’s In And Who’s Out
Workers from China Railway No.2 Engineering Group pose for a group photo after welding the first seamless rails for the China-Laos railway in the northern suburb of Vientiane, Laos, on June 18, 2020. Kaikeo Saiyasane/Xinhua via Getty

In the fall of 2013, shortly after assuming power, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed building a land-based “Silk Road Economic Belt,” extending from China to Central and South Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, and a sea-based “21st Century Maritime Silk Road,” connecting China to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe via major sea lanes.

Together, these came to form the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), still known officially in Chinese as “One Belt, One Road,” which quickly became Xi’s signature foreign policy undertaking. Under BRI, Chinese banks and companies seek to fund and build roads, power plants, ports, railways, 5G networks, and fiber-optic cables around the world.

BRI has a wide reach, but which countries are participants? The answer is surprisingly hard to determine, since China is opaque about the exact contours of BRI and there are different levels of participation in the initiative. But our CFR Independent Task Force report outlines what we were able to discover about the participating countries in BRI.


Accelerate the construction of a new pattern of youth participation in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road"

On March 23, 2013, at the Moscow Institute of International Relations, President Xi Jinping first proposed the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind. On January 18, 2017, at the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva, President Xi Jinping emphasized in his keynote speech: "Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a beautiful goal, and it is also a goal that needs to be relayed from generation to generation to achieve." August 2018 On the 28th, President Xi Jinping replied to the youth representatives participating in the "Belt and Road" Youth Creativity and Heritage Forum, emphasizing that youth are the future of the country and encouraging them to make their own efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

Since the "Belt and Road" initiative was proposed, dozens of overseas cooperation parks jointly built by my country and countries along the route have created hundreds of thousands of local jobs. People-to-people and cultural exchanges in various fields have been further promoted, building a platform for youth international exchanges and innovation and entrepreneurship, and the role of youth in participating in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has gradually emerged.

As General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out in his important speech at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Youth League of China: "The era always entrusts the youth with historical responsibility. The Chinese youth in the new era are born at the right time and have heavy responsibilities on their shoulders. The stage to display your talents is extremely broad, and the prospects for realizing your dreams are extremely bright." In the context of accelerating the construction of a new development pattern, how to play the active role of youth to promote the joint construction of the "Belt and Road", and how to play the role of the "Belt and Road" platform to promote youth innovation To develop, form positive interaction and policy synergy, it is necessary to further clarify the problems at the two levels of concept and path, and then form a systematic mechanism to ensure the effectiveness of participation.


China's Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN
China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor

In March 2015, when China issued The Vision and Actions on Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road policy initiative, it came as no surprise that strong emphasis was placed on orienting the trade routes towards ASEAN countries with a proposed China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor.

ASEAN countries have long been the key trading partners of China. Since the launch of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) in 2010, improved institutional co-ordination and increasingly sophisticated intra-regional supply chains have driven China-ASEAN bilateral trade to new heights. Bilateral trade has grown significantly at an average annual rate of 18% between 2009 and 2014. To deepen multilateral co-operation, China and ASEAN began negotiating an upgrade of the existing CAFTA pact in 2014, with a focus on strengthening investment, trade in goods and services, and economic and technology co-operation. The discussion, likely to be concluded by the end of 2015, is expected to further enhance ASEAN's crucial role in the Belt and Road Initiative and to facilitate further regional integration.

Mainland Southeast Asia, or the Indochina peninsula, is connected to China by land. The transnational transport network of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), of which Guangxi and Yunnan provinces are members, in combination with the proposed maritime silk road that will link major sea ports along the coasts of Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, will intensify China-ASEAN trade and industrial co-operation. It will also extend the economic benefits further afield to South Asia and Western Asia when the new multimodal transportation networks are in place.

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Green Light System for the Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) (you can find more information on the BRIGC here) was established after the second Belt and Road Forum in April 2019. The BRIGC is supervised by the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) with its own secretariat.

The main goal of the BRIGC is “to promote international consensus, understanding, cooperation and concerted actions to realize green development on the Belt and Road, to integrate sustainable development into the BRI through joint efforts and to facilitate BRI participating countries to realize SDGs related to environment and development.” The BRIGC is open to participation to government departments, local and international organizations, think tanks, private sector stakeholders, civil society organizations.

By April 2020, over 130 Chinese and international organizations have joined the initiative. The work of the BRIGC is divided into 10 thematic partnerships:
  • Biodiversity and ecosystem management
  • Green energy and energy efficiency
  • Green finance and investments
  • Improvement of environmental quality and green cities
  • South-south environmental cooperation and SDG capacity building
  • Green technology, innovation and corporate social responsibility
  • Sustainable transportation
  • Climate change governance and green transformation
  • Environmental legislation and standards
  • Maritime community with a shared future and marine environment governance


One Belt One Road (OBOR)

One Belt One Road (OBOR), the brainchild of Chinese President Xi Jinping, is an ambitious economic development and commercial project that focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among multiple countries spread across the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Dubbed as the “Project of the Century” by the Chinese authorities, OBOR spans about 78 countries.

Initially announced in the year 2013 with the purpose of restoring the ancient Silk Route that connected Asia and Europe, the project's scope has been expanded over the years to include new territories and development initiatives. Also called the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the project involves building a big network of roadways, railways, maritime ports, power grids, oil and gas pipelines, and associated infrastructure projects. The project covers two parts. The first is called the “Silk Road Economic Belt,” which is primarily land-based and is expected to connect China with Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe. The second is called the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road,” which is sea-based and is expected to will China’s southern coast to the Mediterranean, Africa, South-East Asia, and Central Asia. The names are confusing as the ‘Belt’ is actually a network of roads, and the ‘Road’ is a sea route.

They contain the following six economic corridors:
  • The New Eurasian Land Bridge, which connects Western China to Western Russia
  • The China-Mongolia-Russia Corridor, which connects North China to Eastern Russia via Mongolia
  • The China-Central Asia-West Asia Corridor, which connects Western China to Turkey via Central and West Asia
  • The China-Indochina Peninsula Corridor, which connects Southern China to Singapore via Indo-China
  • The China-Pakistan Corridor, which connects South Western China through Pakistan to Arabia sea routes
  • The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Corridor, which connects Southern China to India via Bangladesh and Myanmar


Understanding the Belt and Road Initiative Green Coalition (BRIGC)

The Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) was established after the second Belt and Road Forum in April 2019. The BRIGC is supervised by the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) with its own secretariat.

The main goal of the BRIGC is “to promote international consensus, understanding, cooperation and concerted actions to realize green development on the Belt and Road, to integrate sustainable development into the BRI through joint efforts and to facilitate BRI participating countries to realize SDGs related to environment and development.”

The Belt and Road Initiative International Green Development Coalition (BRIGC) was established after the second Belt and Road Forum in April 2019. The BRIGC is supervised by the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) with its own secretariat.


The Belt and Road Initiative

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a development strategy adopted by the Chinese government and unveiled by President Xi Jinping in 2013. Also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-century Maritime Silk Road initiative, the strategy is focused on Eurasian cooperation:
  • The term belt refers to overland infrastructure corridors linked to each other, which constitute the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) component of BRI.
  • The term road refers to the sea route corridors, which constitute the 21s Century Maritime Silk Road (MRS) component of BRI.

The strategy has received mixed criticism, with some political analysts seeing it as a thinly veiled push for Chinese dominance through a China-centered and largely China-controlled trading network. Others have hailed it as an appropriate and desirable counter-balance in view of major USA-centric trading arrangements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

The Belt and Road Initiative is multi-branched and includes projects concerning not just transport infrastructure but also fields such as education, investments, real estate, and power grid. The initiative addresses an infrastructure gap, with the aim of accelerating economic growth across Asia Pacific and Central and Eastern Europe. Geographically, the initiative is structured along several land and sea corridors, involving well over 50 different Eurasian countries, and also stretching into parts of Oceania and Eastern Africa.


Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (一带一路) is a strategy initiated by the People’s Republic of China that seeks to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks with the aim of improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth.

The name was coined in 2013 by China’s President Xi Jinping, who drew inspiration from the concept of the Silk Road established during the Han Dynasty 2,000 years ago – an ancient network of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean via Eurasia for centuries. The BRI has also been referred to in the past as 'One Belt One Road'.

The BRI comprises a Silk Road Economic Belt – a trans-continental passage that links China with south east Asia, south Asia, Central Asia, Russia and Europe by land – and a 21st century Maritime Silk Road, a sea route connecting China’s coastal regions with south east and south Asia, the South Pacific, the Middle East and Eastern Africa, all the way to Europe. The initiative defines five major priorities:
  • policy coordination;
  • infrastructure connectivity;
  • unimpeded trade;
  • financial integration;
  • and connecting people.


JSQ freight vehicle leaves Chongqing for first pilot run to Moscow
18 days using the China-Europe freight train service, compared to 35 days using marine shipping

A JSQ freight vehicle of China Railway Special Cargo Logistics Co., Ltd. is about to leave Yuzui Station in southwest China's Chongqing, July 21, 2022.

A JSQ freight vehicle of China Railway Special Cargo Logistics Co., Ltd., loaded with 207 cars manufactured by Changan Automobile, left Yuzui Station in southwest China's Chongqing on Thursday for its first pilot run to Moscow, Russia.

Shipping time from Chongqing to Moscow will be reduced to 18 days using the China-Europe freight train service, compared to 35 days using marine shipping.


From Silk Road to Silk Railroad
The new Silk Road: freight trains have replaced camel caravans, but all roads still lead to Xi’an

Over 2,000 years ago, Zhang Qian, a renowned diplomat of China’s Han Dynasty, ventured out of the prosperous capital city of Chang’an (now Xi’an City in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province) and embarked on a trail-blazing west-bound journey.
With two diplomatic missions, Zhang initiated friendly exchanges between China and its Central Asian peers. The ancient Silk Road, eventually linking the East and the West, Asia and Europe, thus came into being.

Merchants of different races and speaking various languages, fully loaded with goods on camel caravans, traveled the Silk Road, bridging the ancient Eastern and Western civilizations. Today, an open, inclusive and mutually beneficial modern Silk Road is taking shape. The ancient camel caravans have morphed into something stronger and faster.

What remains unchanged is Xi’an’s important role in the historic route of exchanges. Xi’an has transformed from the starting point of the ancient Silk Road to the first station of the China-Europe freight train, named after its ancient moniker of Chang’an, which literally means “eternal stability” in Chinese.


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05/06/2022

China launches Manned Spacecraft Shenzhou-14

Update 4 Dec 2022: Shenzhou-14 astronauts out of return capsule
Astronaut Liu Yang is out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceship at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Dec. 4, 2022. The return capsule of the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceship, carrying astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, touched down at the Dongfeng landing site safely on Sunday. (Xinhua/Lian Zhen)

Astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe are out of the return capsule of the Shenzhou-14 spaceship, all in good physical condition.

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Historic moment as China launches Shenzhou-15 manned spaceship

The three astronauts aboard China’s Shenzhou-15 spaceship entered the country’s space station and met with another astronaut trio on Wednesday, a historic gathering that added the manpower at the in-orbit space lab to six for the first time. China launched Shenzhou-15 on Tuesday night. The manned spaceship, atop the Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 11:08 p.m. (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). About 10 minutes after the launch, Shenzhou-15 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit.

At 5:42 a.m. Wednesday, the Shenzhou-15 spaceship conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docked with the front port of the space station’s Tianhe module. The space station was expanded to its largest configuration with three modules and three spaceships, having a total mass of nearly 100 tonnes. At 7:33 a.m., Chen Dong, the commander of the Shenzhou-14 crew, opened the hatch. The three space station occupants greeted the new arrivals Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu with warm hugs and then they took a group picture with their thumbs up, shouting in chorus — “China’s space station is always worth looking forward to.”

The space reunion has kicked off the first in-orbit crew rotation in China’s space history, said the CMSA. The rotation can verify the feasibility of the regular rotation mode that will follow, according to Gao Xu, a senior spaceship designer at the China Academy of Space Technology. The Shenzhou-14 astronauts, who were sent to the space station in June, plan to complete the in-orbit work handover in about five days, and then return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. During the rotation of the two groups, they will complete a work handover concerning the status of the space station combination and materials, as well as the experimental projects. Meanwhile, the Shenzhou-14 crew will continue to make preparations for their return, said Ji Qiming, assistant to the CMSA director, at a press conference on Monday. With six astronauts in orbit, it’s a challenge to allocate resources such as space, equipment and materials rationally for more efficient utilization, according to the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.

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Shenzhou-15: China sends new crew to Tiangong space station
The three astronauts will live on the space station for six months

Three Chinese astronauts have taken off for the Tiangong space station to make its first in-orbit crew handover. It will be the second permanently inhabited space outpost, after the Nasa-led International Space Station from which China was excluded in 2011.

The fresh crew will live on the station for six months, taking over from three colleagues who arrived in June. There will be a week-long handover period, in part to trial the station's ability to house six astronauts. The new crew lifted off on Tuesday in the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft or "Divine Vessel" from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert in north-west China.

It is the last of 11 missions required to assemble the station that is expected to operate for around a decade and run experiments in near-zero gravity. The outgoing crew is expected to return to Earth early next month. A spokesperson for the China Manned Space Administration said the new crew would focus on installing equipment and facilities around the space station. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of the year. China's space programme has previously landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon, and it was the third country to put humans in orbit.

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Shenzhou-15 crew visits China Space Station
(From left) Taikonauts Zhang Lu, Fei Junlong and Deng Qingming of the upcoming Shenzhou-15 mission, meet the media at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on Nov. 28, 2022. XINHUA PHOTO © Provided by The Manila Times

CHINA on Monday unveiled the lineup of three taikonauts for the Shenzhou-15 manned spaceflight mission that is set to be launched on Tuesday night. The trio — led by mission commander Fei Junlong; two space newcomers Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu are the other two — are going to conduct a direct handover in orbit with the Shenzhou-14 crew at the China Space Station in construction, which shall mark a first in China's aerospace history.

The upcoming Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceflight mission is not only the anchor-leg launch mission at the China Space Station construction stage, but also is the first one to embark on the next operational stage, Fei, the 57-year-old veteran taikonaut who visited the space as the mission commander in the China's Shenzhou-6 mission in 2005, remarked at a news conference on Monday at the Jiuquan Satellite Space Launch Center in northwestern China's Gansu province. The crew will carry out more experiments in orbit, operate, maintain and repair relevant equipment and above all execute even more challenging extravehicular activities, or known as spacewalks, with more complicated paths to take on, Fei said on Monday. The Shenzhou-15 crew has undergone great amount of specific training, which made them very confident to deliver all the set goals and to successfully complete their space run, Fei said.

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China to launch Shenzhou XV manned spacecraft
A photo taken on Nov 21, 2022 shows China's Shenzhou XV manned spacecraft and a Long March 2F Y15 rocket being transferred to the launch area. [Photo by Wang Jiangbo/For chinadaily.com.cn]

China's Shenzhou XV manned spacecraft and its carrier — a Long March 2F Y15 rocket — were moved to their launch area on Monday to undergo final tests before their upcoming flight, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

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Shenzhou-14 astronauts complete first extravehicular activities
Screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Sept. 1, 2022 shows Shenzhou-14 astronauts Chen Dong (Top), Liu Yang conducting extravehicular activities (EVAs) out of the space station lab module Wentian. China's Shenzhou-14 astronauts Chen Dong and Liu Yang successfully exited the space station lab module Wentian on Thursday to conduct EVAs, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)

China's astronauts Chen Dong and Liu Yang have completed their extravehicular activities (EVAs) and returned to the space station lab module Wentian, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on early hours of Friday.

This was the first time Chinese astronauts have used Wentian's airlock cabin, aided by its small mechanical arm, to carry out EVAs, said the CMSA, who has declared Friday's mission a complete success. The pair returned to the lab module at 0:33 a.m. (Beijing Time) after about six hours of EVAs, according to the CMSA. Under the coordination between space and Earth, and coordination with astronaut Cai Xuzhe inside the lab module, the pair completed a series of tasks, including the installation of the extended pump set of the Wentian lab module, lifting the lab module's panoramic camera, and the verification of capability for independent transfer and emergency return to the spacecraft.

The EVAs tested the cooperation ability between astronauts and the small mechanical arm, and tested the function and performance of Wentian's airlock cabin and support equipment related to EVAs, the CMSA said. China launched the Shenzhou-14 spaceship on June 5, sending three astronauts to its space station combination for a six-month mission.

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Wentian's small mechanical arm completes in-orbit tests
Simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 25, 2022 shows that Wentian lab module has successfully docked with the front port of Tianhe core module combination

The small mechanical arm mounted with Wentian, the first lab module of China's space station, has successfully completed in-orbit tests, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

With the support of the ground team, the small mechanical arm has completed a series of in-orbit function and performance tests. All indexes performed well, achieving expected results, said the CMSA. The weight and length of the small mechanical arm are about half that of the 10-meter-long large mechanical arm on the core module Tianhe. It is quite flexible and can perform operations with greater precision.

The Shenzhou-14 crew will, for the first time, be aided by the small mechanical arm to carry out extravehicular activities. The small arm can also be held with the large arm to form a combined arm that is capable of performing extravehicular operations with greater accuracy at a larger range. China on July 24 launched the Wentian lab module, which consists of a work cabin, an airlock cabin and a resource cabin.

related: China's Shenzhou-14 astronauts complete first extravehicular activities

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China launches Wentian module to Tiangong space station
China's first lab module for space station

China on Sunday launched Wentian, the first lab module of its space station. The new module will function both as a backup of the core module and as a powerful scientific experiment platform. The Wentian module is 17.9 meters long, has a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and a takeoff mass of 23 tonnes, almost the size of a subway car in Beijing. It is the heaviest single-cabin active spacecraft in orbit in the world, according to Liu Gang, deputy chief designer of the China manned space program's space station system with the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

The Wentian module consists of a work cabin, an airlock cabin and a resource cabin. The Long March-5B Y3 carrier rocket, carrying Wentian, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan at 2:22 p.m. (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). About 495 seconds later, Wentian separated from the rocket and entered the planned orbit. The launch is a complete success, the CMSA declared.

This is the 24th flight mission since the country's manned space program was approved and initiated. The construction of China's Tiangong space station is expected to be completed this year. It will then evolve from a single-module structure into a national space laboratory with three modules -- the core module Tianhe, and lab modules Wentian and Mengtian. The Tianhe module was launched in April 2021, and the Mengtian module is set to be launched in October this year.

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The Shenzhou 14 mission
Live: Special coverage of China's Shenzhou-14 manned space mission
LIVE: China launches Shenzhou-14 crewed spacecraft
Shenzhou-14 docking
China launches astronauts to complete new space station
China’s Shenzhou 14 mission begins mission to finish the Tiangong space station

Shenzhou 14 (Chinese: 神舟十四号; pinyin: Shénzhōu Shísì-hào; lit. 'Divine Boat Number 14') is a Chinese spaceflight that launched on 5 June 2022 at 02:44 UTC. The flight marks the ninth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the fourteenth flight of the Shenzhou program. The spacecraft carries three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on the third flight to the Tianhe core module, the first module of the Tiangong space station. The launch of the three-person crew with a Long March-2F launch vehicle took place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The spaceflight is the second of the upcoming missions set to last six months (180 days). After that, the six-month stay aboard the space station will become the normal duration of the astronaut crew in orbit. The flight marks the third of four crewed missions scheduled to dock with the Tiangong space station by the end of construction in 2022. The mission is visiting the Tianhe core module following the launch and docking of Tianzhou 4, the third resupply mission to the station. The crew are expected to assist with the assembly of the Wentian and Mengtian laboratories, which are scheduled to arrive at Tiangong in July and October respectively.

The Shenzhou 15 crew is scheduled to arrive 10 days before Shenzhou 14 departs, which means that the Shenzhou 14 mission marks the beginning of keeping the station permanently inhabited. The crew saluted while entering the Tianhe core module later on 5 June 2022, at 12:50 UTC as the third expedition to the Tiangong space station. At least three spacewalks are planned to occur during the crew's approximately six-month stay in orbit. Shenzhou 15 will be on standby for any possible rescue mission.

related: Shenzhou 15

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3 Chinese astronauts arrive at Tiangong space station for 6-month stay
The Shenzhou 14 mission docked to China's Tianhe space station module on June 5, 2022. (Image credit: CMSA)

China's three-person Shenzhou 14 mission arrived at Tianhe, the core module of the under-construction Tiangong, early Sunday morning (June 5), about six hours after lifting off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The capsule docked to the Earth-facing port of Tianhe at 5:42 a.m. EDT (0942 GMT), according to a Weibo post from the China Manned Space Agency (opens in new tab). The three Shenzhou 14 crewmembers — commander Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe — are expected to spend about six months aboard the 54-foot-long (16.6 meters) Tianhe ("Harmony of the Heavens"), which launched to low Earth orbit in April 2021.

During their time in orbit, the trio will conduct a variety of scientific experiments and educational outreach activities, perform several spacewalks and install some new equipment inside and outside Tianhe, Chinese space officials have said. The astronauts will also oversee the arrival of Tiangong's other two modules, Wentian ("Quest for the Heavens") and Mengtian ("Dreaming of the Heavens"), which are scheduled to launch in July and October, respectively. Wentian and Mengtian will attach on either side of Tianhe, forming a T-shaped orbiting outpost about 20% as massive as the International Space Station (ISS).

The two previous crewed missions to Tianhe, Shenzhou 12 and Shenzhou 13, also sent three astronauts to the core module. Shenzhou 12 launched in June 2021 and lasted for three months, and the six-month-long Shenzhou 13 launched in October and returned to Earth in mid-April. Shenzhou 15 is expected to launch around the end of the year. (It's tough to know for sure; China tends not to reveal many details about its space missions until they're just about to happen.) If all goes according to plan, Shenzhou 15 will overlap with Shenzhou 14, marking the Tiangong space station's first-ever crew handover.

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Shenzhou-14 astronauts enter space station core module

On June 5, China launched the crewed spaceship Shenzhou-14, sending astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe to its space station combination for a six-month mission. The trio will cooperate with the ground team to complete the assembly and construction of China's space station, developing it from a single-module structure into a national space laboratory with three modules.

The three Shenzhou-14 astronauts successfully entered the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft at 12:19 p.m. BJT on Monday, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced. The trio was sent to China's space station on June 5. China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-4, with supplies for the Shenzhou-14 crewed mission, docked with the combination of the space station core module Tianhe and the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft in May.

China's manned spacecraft Shenzhou-14 was successfully launched into orbit from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Sunday morning. Three taikonauts, Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, will stay in orbit for six months and help complete the construction of China's space station by the end of this year.

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Three Chinese astronauts arrive at space station
Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe (L to R), Chen Dong and Liu Yang take part in a ceremony prior to the launch of the Shenzhou-14 mission (Photo: AFP/STR)

Three Chinese astronauts arrived at the country's space station on Sunday (Jun 5), the Chinese space agency for human flights said, the latest stride in Beijing's aim to become a major space power. The trio blasted off in a Long March-2F rocket at 2.44am GMT (10.44am Singapore time) from the Jiuquan launch centre in north-western China's Gobi desert, reported state broadcaster CCTV.

The team is tasked with "completing in-orbit assembly and construction of the space station", as well as "commissioning of equipment" and conducting scientific experiments, state-run CGTN said on Saturday. The astronauts entered the central module of the Tiangong station at around 12.50pm GMT (8.50pm Singapore time), the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said. The journey took about "seven hours of flight", CCTV reported.

Tiangong, which means "heavenly palace", is expected to become fully operational by the end of the year. China's heavily promoted space programme has already seen the nation land a rover on Mars and send probes to the Moon.

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Shenzhou (spacecraft)
Shenzhou consists of three modules: a forward orbital module (轨道舱), a reentry module (返回舱) in the middle, and an aft service module (推进舱)

Shenzhou (Chinese: 神舟; pinyin: Shénzhōu, /ˈʃɛnˈdʒoʊ/; see § Etymology) is a spacecraft developed and operated by China to support its crewed spaceflight program, China Manned Space Program. Its design resembles the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, but it is larger in size. The first launch was on 19 November 1999 and the first crewed launch was on 15 October 2003. In March 2005, an asteroid was named 8256 Shenzhou in honour of the spacecraft.

The literal meaning of the native name 神舟 (p: Shénzhōu; /ˈʃɛnˈdʒoʊ/) is "the Divine vessel [on the Heavenly River]", to which Heavenly River (天河) means the Milky Way in Classical Chinese. 神舟 is a pun and neologism that plays on the poetic word referring to China, 神州, meaning Divine realm, which bears the same pronunciation. For further information, refer to Chinese theology, Chinese astronomy and names of China.

Shenzhou consists of three modules: a forward orbital module (轨道舱), a reentry module (返回舱) in the middle, and an aft service module (推进舱). This division is based on the principle of minimizing the amount of material to be returned to Earth. Anything placed in the orbital or service modules does not require heat shielding, increasing the space available in the spacecraft without increasing weight as much as it would if those modules were also able to withstand reentry. The Shenzhou spacecrafts are:


Tiangong space station
Rendering of Tiangong Space Station between October 2021 and March 2022, with Tianhe core module in the middle, Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft on the left, Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft on the right, and Shenzhou-13 crewed spacecraft at nadir

Tiangong (Chinese: 天宮; pinyin: Tiāngōng; lit. 'Palace in the Sky'), officially the Tiangong space station (Chinese: 天宫空间站), is a space station being constructed by China in low Earth orbit between 340 and 450 km (210 and 280 mi) above the surface. Being China's first long-term space station, it is the goal of the "Third Step" of the China Manned Space Program. Once completed, Tiangong will have a mass between 80 and 100 t (180,000 and 220,000 lb), roughly one-fifth the mass of the International Space Station and about the size of the decommissioned Russian Mir space station.

The construction of the station is based on the experience gained from its precursors, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2. The first module, the Tianhe ("Harmony of the Heavens") core module, was launched on 29 April 2021, followed by multiple crewed and uncrewed missions and two more modules to be launched in 2022. Chinese leaders have expressed the hope that the research conducted on the station will improve researchers' ability to conduct science experiments in space, beyond the duration and capacity offered by China's existing space laboratories.

According to CMSA, which operates the space station, the purpose and mission of Tiangong is listed as: Further development of spacecraft rendezvous technology; Breakthrough in key technologies such as permanent human operations in orbit, long-term autonomous spaceflight of the space station, regenerative life support technology, and autonomous cargo and fuel supply technology; Test of next-generation orbit transportation vehicles; Scientific and practical applications at large-scale in orbit; Development of technology that can aid future deep space exploration. In addition, private sector commercial activities being encouraged, according to the designer of China's human spaceflight program: “When our space station is completed and running, we will actively encourage the private sector to engage in space through various ways.” “We hope there will be competitive, cost-efficient commercial space players to participate in areas including space applications and space resource development.” Operations will be controlled from the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center in China. To guarantee the safety of astronauts on board, a Long March 2F with a Shenzhou spacecraft will always be on standby for an emergency rescue mission.


China's Space Station Will Be Open to Science from All UN Nations
3D illustration of the Chinese space station Tiangong, Tianhe core module in the middle, Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft on the top, Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft at nadir, Wentian & Mengtian on the left & right, scheduled to launch in Jul & Dec 2022 

China is working with the United Nations to help arrange scientific experiments aboard that country's space station.

The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and China's Manned Space Agency have invited applications from UN member states to conduct experiments on China's space station (CSS). In 2016, the two signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to develop the space capabilities of UN member states via opportunities to use the station, which China expects to be operational by 2022. [Gallery: Tiangong 1, China's First Space Laboratory]

The "announcement of opportunity" and application instructions for this initiative were released at a ceremony hosted by UNOOSA and the Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Vienna on Monday (May 28).



Long March (rocket family)
Comparison of Long March rockets

The Long March rockets are a family of expendable launch system rockets operated by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.[1] [2] The rockets are named after the Chinese Red Army's 1934–35 Long March during the Chinese Civil War.

The Long March series has performed more than 350 launches, including missions to low-Earth orbit, sun-synchronous orbit, geostationary transfer orbit, and Earth-moon transfer orbit. The new-generation carrier rockets, Long March 5, Long March 6, Long March 7, Long March 11, and Long March 8, have made their maiden flights. Among them, the Long March 5 has a low-Earth orbit carrying capacity of 25,000 kilograms, and a geosynchronous transfer orbit carrying capacity of 14,000 kilograms. The Long March rockets have subsequently maintained an excellent reliability record. Since 2010, Long March launches have made up 15–25% of all space launches globally. Growing domestic demand has maintained a healthy manifest. International deals have been secured through a package deal that bundles the launch with a Chinese satellite, circumventing the United States embargo.

The Long March rockets are organized into several series (There is no Long March 10):


Chinese space program
Lunar Lander on 144 Dec 2013 & Martian Lander on 6 Jun 2021

The space program of the People's Republic of China is directed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA). Its technological roots can be traced back to the late 1950s, when China began a ballistic missile program in response to perceived American (and, later, Soviet) threats. However, the first Chinese crewed space program only began several decades later, when an accelerated program of technological development culminated in Yang Liwei's successful 2003 flight aboard Shenzhou 5. This achievement made China the third country to independently send humans into space. Plans currently include a permanent Chinese space station by the end of 2022, crewed expeditions to the Moon, Mars and interplanetary missions to explore the Solar System and beyond. Chinese officials have articulated long term ambitions to exploit Earth-Moon space for industrial development and announced China's first landing of a reusable space vehicle at Lop Nur on September 6, 2020.

The PRC is a member of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and a signatory to all United Nations treaties and conventions on space, with the exception of the 1979 Moon Treaty.[29] The United States government has long been resistant to the use of PRC launch services by American industry due to concerns over alleged civilian technology transfer that could have dual-use military applications to countries such as North Korea, Iran or Syria. Thus, financial retaliatory measures have been taken on many occasions against several Chinese space companies.

Due to security concerns, all researchers from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are prohibited from working with Chinese citizens affiliated with a Chinese state enterprise or entity. In April 2011, the 112th United States Congress banned NASA from using its funds to host Chinese visitors at NASA facilities. In March 2013, the U.S. Congress passed legislation barring Chinese nationals from entering NASA facilities without a waiver from NASA. The history of the U.S. exclusion policy can be traced back to allegations by a 1998 U.S. Congressional Commission that the technical information that American companies provided China for its commercial satellite ended up improving Chinese intercontinental ballistic missile technology.[33] This was further aggravated in 2007 when China blew up a defunct meteorological satellite in low Earth orbit to test a ground-based anti-satellite (ASAT) missile. The debris created by the explosion contributed to the space junk that litter Earth's orbit, exposing other nations' space assets to the risk of accidental collision. The United States also fears the Chinese application of dual-use space technology for nefarious purposes. The U.S. imposed an embargo to the U.S. - China space cooperation throughout the 2000s and by 2011, a clause inserted by then-Congressman Frank Wolf in the 2011 U.S. federal budget forbids NASA from hosting or participating in a joint scientific activity with China. The Chinese response to the exclusion policy involved its own space policy of opening up its space station to the outside world, welcoming scientists coming from all countries. American scientists have also boycotted NASA conferences due to its rejection of Chinese nationals in these events.


China launches Tianhe module to Tiangong space station
China's first space station core module Tianhe
Rendering of Tianhe core module with the robotic arm at docking position

Tianhe (Chinese: 天和; pinyin: Tiānhé; lit. 'Harmony of the Heavens'), officially the Tianhe core module (Chinese: 天和核心舱), is the first module to launch of the Tiangong space station. It was launched into orbit on 29 April 2021, as the first launch of the final phase of Tiangong program, part of the China Manned Space Program (Project 921).

Tianhe follows in the footsteps of Salyut, Skylab, Mir, International Space Station, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 space stations. It is the first module of a third-generation Chinese modular space station. Other examples of modular station projects include the Soviet/Russian Mir, Russian OPSEK, and the International Space Station. Operations will be controlled from the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center.

In 2018, a fullscale mockup of Tianhe was publicly presented at China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai. In October 2020, China selected 18 new astronauts ahead of the space station construction to participate in the country's space station project.


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World Environment Day 2022


The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature.

Yet, these are exceptional times in which nature is sending us a message:

  • To care for ourselves we must care for nature.
  • It’s time to wake up. To take notice. To raise our voices.
  • It’s time to build back better for People and Planet.
  • This World Environment Day, it’s Time for Nature.

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 World Environment Day

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5 June every year, and is the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of the environment. First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on environmental issues emerging from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime. World Environment Day has grown to become a global platform for public outreach, with participation from over 143 countries annually. Each year, WED has provided a new theme that major corporations, NGOs, communities, governments and all celebrities worldwide adopt to advocate environmental causes.

World Environment Day was established in 1972 by the United Nations on the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, resulting from discussions on the integration of human interactions and the environment. Two years later, in 1974 the first WED was held with the theme "Only One Earth". Even though WED celebration have been held annually since 1974, in 1987 the idea for rotating the centre of these activities through selecting different host countries began.

For almost five decades, World Environment Day has been raising awareness, supporting action, and driving changes for the environment

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