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China's party daily hails success of manned space flight

Posted on: Friday, 17 October 2003, 06:00 CDT

China's party daily has hailed the nation's first manned space flight, noting it was a "marvellous achievement" that science and technology workers had made such a breakthrough in only 11 years. It said the successful space flight showed that the party's decision on initiating the manned space programme was correct. It also said that socialism had the advantage of concentrating on doing big things, including reform, opening up and modernization, which had provided the foundation for the space project, as well and science and technology work. The following is The apparent text of 17 October Renmin Ribao editorial entitled: "Glory to great motherland - congratulations on complete success of China's first manned space flight", carried by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency)

Beijing, 16 October: Our country has scored complete success in its first manned space flight, thus realizing the Chinese nation's thousand-year-old fond dream of exploring space. The happy news has caused the whole nation to be jubilant and has attracted worldwide attention. The successful launch and safe landing of Shenzhou-V indicate that the Chinese people have taken another big stride forward of great historical significance in the journey to scale the summit of world science and technology, are another achievement in our country's reform, opening up and socialist modernization, are another milestone in the development of our country's advanced technology, are another extraordinary magnificent feat of the Chinese people in making unremitting efforts to improve ourselves, and are glory to our great motherland. At this inspiring historical moment, the Chinese people are filled with unparallel pride and dignity. We would like to extend our warm congratulations to the broad masses of scientists and technicians who have made outstanding contribution to the astronautical cause of our country and all comrades who have taken part in the research, development, construction and experiments of the astronautical programme; cordial regards to our country's astronaut who has travelled through space; and lofty respect to all science and technology personnel and cadres and staff members who have gone all out to work for our country's astronautical cause in the past several decades.

The soaring rocket into space has realized the one-thousand-year- old fond dream. The initiation of the manned space programme is an important strategic policy-decision made by the party's third- generation leading collective with Comrade Jiang Zemin as the core. In the past 10 years and more, under the leadership of the party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission and with the unremitting efforts of the broad masses of science and technology personnel and officers and soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, our country has made great achievements in the astronautical cause that have attracted worldwide attention. The broad masses of science and technology workers and the cadres and staff members taking part in this cause have roused themselves to make vigorous efforts to press forward and have made a breakthrough in the manned space technology within a short span of only 11 years. This is a marvellous achievement. Practice has proved that the party Central Committee's important policy-decision on initiating the manned space programme is entirely correct; the socialist system has the tremendous advantage of concentrating strength on doing big things; reform, opening up and modernization have provided a solid material foundation for the development of the astronautical cause and other science and technology undertakings; the Chinese people are industrious and wise and have remarkable ability to make innovations and carry out reconstruction through their own efforts.

Developing the astronautical cause and promoting science and technology progress are of great significance to speeding up reform, opening up and modernization in our country. Developing the manned space technology not only is an important expression of the wisdom of our nation, our economic strength and our comprehensive national strength, but also is conducive to promoting the development of the productive forces of our country and enhancing the prestige of our country. The advantages of development are held in store in knowledge, science and technology and the country that has the advantages in knowledge and in science and technology innovations will occupy a leading position in development. Science and technology are the primary productive force. We must make great efforts to implement the strategy of invigorating the country by means of science and education, put science, technology and education in a strategic position and give priority to their development. We must make great efforts to develop our country's science and technology and strive to get close to and catch up with the world's advanced level in order to inject a powerful propelling force into the reform, opening up and modernization of our country. The endless space is the eternal wealth of mankind. Developing manned space technology is useful exploration of mankind in developing and making use of space resources. China should, and is also able to, make due contribution to promoting science and technology progress and peaceful development of mankind.

The happy news of the complete success of our country's first manned space flight has come at a time when the third plenary session of the 16th CCP Central Committee has ended triumphantly and it has greatly inspired the lofty sentiments and aspirations of the people of all ethnic groups across the country in comprehensively building a well-off society [Chinese: xiao kang she hui] and greatly aroused the enthusiasm of making continuous efforts to scale summits among the cadres, staff and workers on the astronautical front. In his important speech at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, Comrade Hu Jintao pointed out that it is necessary to study seriously and implement the important thinking of the "Three Representations" [Chinese: san ge dai biao: on the importance of the Communist Party in modernizing the nation representing the demands for the development of advanced social productive forces, the direction of advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the greatest majority of the people] and the spirit of the 16th CCP National Congress, further strengthen the sense of mission and responsibility, make great efforts to carry forward the spirit of "two bombs, one satellite [the atomic bomb, the hydrogen bomb, and a satellite]" and the spirit of the manned space flight, seek truth in a scientific manner, make innovations in a pioneering spirit, cooperate in unity, make unremitting efforts to forge ahead, constantly score new victories in the development of the astronautical cause and science and technology for national defence in our country, and render new meritorious services to building comprehensively a well-off society and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This is heartening encouragement and a fervent hope. So long as the whole party and the people of all ethnic groups across the country closely unite around the party Central Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as the general secretary, turn the tremendous success of the first manned space flight into a powerful propelling force pushing forward reform, opening up and modernization, seriously study and comprehensively implement the spirit of the third plenary session of the 16th CCP Central Committee, push forward the reform of the economic structure, speed up economic and social development, foster lofty ideas and set high goals, make persistent efforts to scale summits bravely, we shall definitely be able to write a new chapter in the astronautical cause and the science and technology cause of our country as a whole and a new chapter in comprehensively building a well-off society and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

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