Russian space training centre waiting for Chinese astronauts

Excerpt from report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 10 February: Chinese astronauts will shortly arrive at the Russian space training centre for training, the centre’s chief, Maj-Gen Vasiliy Tsibliyev, told ITAR-TASS today.

“This will be a period of training for the Chinese astronauts prior to the manned space flight planned by China itself,” he said. “Chinese specialists can learn quite a few things from their Russian colleagues” and use the knowledge for the benefit of China’s national space programme, Tsibliyev said. He did not give the time schedule for the Chinese astronauts’ training or the value of the contract. [Passage omitted]