Sci-Edu
UPDATED: 16:32, September 25, 2006
China offers proposal on Sino-US space cooperation
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200609/25/eng20060925_306184.html
China has offered a four-point proposal to boost Sino-US space cooperation, said Sun Laiyan, administrator of China National Space Administration. Sun was speaking on Monday, the day after formal talks with his U.S.counterpart Michael Griffin, administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in Beijing.
"The two sides both expressed willingness to jointly promote Sino-American space cooperation to further contribute to the constructive and cooperative relations," Sun said.
China's proposals, based on this consensus, were:
-- to strengthen exchanges and communication, increase mutual trust, foster friendship and promote cooperation. -- to hold meetings every year to exchange views and concerns on certain issues in an effort to cement the stable development of bilateral space cooperation. -- to jointly explore fields where the two sides could cooperate and conduct the preparatory work. -- to eliminate obstacles and boost mutual trust to develop China-U.S. constructive and cooperative ties, Sun said.
Griffin arrived in China last Saturday, starting his six-day official visit at Sun's invitation.
Griffin is the highest-ranking U.S. space official to visit China in the last 12 years, according to the CNSA information.
"I'm not well acquainted with China's capabilities, and one of the major purposes of this trip is to gain new insight of China's capabilities in space," Griffin said after talks with Sun.
After an one-hour discussion, Griffin and Sun held private talks for about 30 minutes, but the details of their conversation have not been disclosed.
Source: Xinhua
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