The Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space held its forty-sixth session at the United Nations Office at Vienna from 9 February 2009. Mr. Wang Keran, head of the Chinese Delegation made a statement under the item of General statements, in which he reviewed the major events of Chinese space cause in 2008, and the developments of international cooperation which China participate. The content of the statement is as follows.

After several dozens of years of development, Chinese space undertakings have now capabilities in 5 areas,

1)entry into space  

2) satellite development and applications  

3) space infrastructure and ground support  

4) manned space flights 

5) deep space exploration.

In 2008, capabilities in all five areas were further enhanced and standards raised.

By 31 Dec 2008, launches by the Long March series totalled 115 with a success rate of 94% and in 2008 alone, 11 launches were completed successfully, putting into preset orbits, 13 satellites and l spacecraft.

At present, China is researching and developing a new generation of non toxic and pollution free rocket carrier Long March 5 with a payload capacity of 25 tons for the near orbit and 14 tons for the geosynchronous transfer orbit. In 2008 the designing of the specific phase of this programme was completed.

The Chinese government places emphasis on the application of space technology, actively promoting broad applications of satellites in remote sensing, telecommunications and navigation,

in service of economic and social development and for the benefit of the people. At present, there are widely used  applications of satellite remote sensing in agriculture, forestry, national land use and survey, hydros, rural and urban development, environment, mapping, transport, meteorology , oceans, and scientific research. Remote sensing data are provided free of charge to domestic departments engaged in public service and scientific research.

Meteorology satellites of the Chinese Fengyun Series are now part of the service satellites of the WMO, and 5 of them are now currently operating in orbit. On 27^th of May, 2008, we successfully launched Fengyun 3.A, a new generation of polar orbiting meteorology satellites, enhancing the Chinese capabilities to prevent and mitigate disasters and adapt to climate change. During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, this satellite provided direct and assured meteorology service to the Games.

As for telecommunications, we have successively started developing pan rural village coverage, telemedicine and tele-education. We have also built and put into service, 34 TV and broadcasting uplink stations and 15 million relay stations. Telecom companies have installed satellite telephony in over 2,200 villages providing a solution to communication problems which would otherwise have none other viable alternatives. We have also initiated a modern  tele-education programme via satellite for nation-wide rural secondary and primary schools, with coverage for over 530,000 such schools, basically satisfying their students' needs for quality education.

Here allow me to mention, in particular, the application of space technology in the Wenchuan earthquake which occurred on 12^th May, 2008. After the earthquake had struck, the Chinese government roped in 11 satellites into disaster relief, including 3 meteorology satellites (Fengyun 1D, 2Cand 2D), 2 Sino-Brazilian earth resources satellites (CBERS 02 and 02B), 2 communication satellites (Sino 1 and 3) and 4 Beidou (Big Dipper) GPS satellites. These provided weather forecasting, disaster monitoring, telecommunications, as well as navigation and positioning services. At the same time, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) urgently called on the Charter mechanism. Members provided China with hundreds of remote sensing images and contributed to and supported Chinese disaster relief. Allow me to take this opportunity to express deepest thanks to the various space agencies for the selfless assistance rendered to the Wenchuan earthquake.

China's manned space flight is a millennium programme for which we have adopted a development strategy in three stages. The first stage is sending astronauts safely into the near orbit, the second involves breakthroughs of extra vehicular activities, rendezvous and docking and the third stage is the building of  space stations with long term regular servicing and short term auto-piloting.

On the 25th of Sept 2008, the spacecraft Shenzhou 7 was launched into space by the Long March 2F carrier rocket with three astronauts on board. On the 27^th, astronaut

 Zhai Zhigang opened the spacecraft door and engaged in the first ever Chinese extra vehicular activities. On the 28^th, the return vehicle safely landed, bringing home the astronauts safe and sound.

The Chinese moon exploration programme is also three tiered, namely "cycling, landing, retrieving". In Oct 2007, the Chang-e 1 was launched and has since been in operation on the polar lunar orbit. It has collected over the past year full and sufficient data, laying a solid basis for scientific as well as lunar research. The second tier of the programme is now officially initiated and will develop and launch probe and rover with soft landing to start exploration of the lunar surface.

Hand in hand with lunar exploration, China is also researching on the technology for exploration  further and deeper into space. China is developing Yinghuo 1 probe for exploration of Mars which is planned for launching in Oct 2009 jointly with Russia's Phobos Grunt, using Russian rocket.

The Asia- Pacific Space Organisation (APSCO) headquartered in Beijing, China, was inaugurated on 16^th Dec 2008. As host country, China will continue to support this organisation in its work. We are confident that this organisation will play an important role in promoting exchange and cooperation for the peaceful use of outer space among Asian and Pacific countries and we hope that in future, this organisation will conduct effective cooperation with the Untied Nations and in particular with COPUOS.

As for disaster mitigation of space based systems, the Chinese government is of the view that UN-SPIDER plays a positive role in global disaster information sharing and in full cycle disaster management, which will contribute to our common effort for disaster prevention and mitigation. The Chinese government has approved the establishment of a SPIDER office in Beijing.

In May 2007, the CNSA officially joined CHARTER, the intergovernmental charter for the use of space installations to mitigate major disasters. Subsequently, the Chinese meteorology satellites and earth resources satellites have already pitched in services for the global disaster relief of various countries. As mentioned above, during the Wenchuan mega earthquake in Szechuan, China, satellites from member states of CHARTER also provided cost free assistance to Chinese disaster relief.

As for bilateral cooperation, on the basis of the principle of "equality, mutual benefit, peaceful use and common development", China has actively and in a pragmatic manner, established joint committees on space cooperation. Cooperation Programmes underway include Sino-Russian joint explorations to Mars, Sino-Brazilian earth resources satellites CBERS03 and 04, the twin star and lunar exploration cooperation between China and the ESA as well as cooperation under other mechanisms.

In future, China will further reinforce the integration of space technology applications and requirements to enable space technology to better serve national economic and social development while continuing our efforts in developing space science and deep space exploration so as to make contribution to man's knowledge of the universe. China will also enhance international cooperation in space technology applications, provide data service and support to APSCO, lend our support to COPUOS work and make our due contribution to the peaceful use of outer space for the benefit of the whole of all countries and all peoples.