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China Allows Foreign Reporters to Visit Satellite Launch Centre

Posted on: Sunday, 12 September 2004, 06:00 CDT

China has allowed foreign journalists to visit the Jiaquan satellite launch centre, from which the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft was launched. An unattributed article in the Japanese daily Mainichi Shimbun describes a visit to the centre, located in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. During the visit interviews and questions are prohibited and photograph-taking is restricted. The writer speculates that the reason for allowing the visits is to allay foreign fears of China's "military utilization of space" and to encourage foreign cooperation in satellite business. Following is the text of the report published by Mainichi Shimbun web site on 7 September; subheadings as carried

Aiming at satellite business - one year after launch of manned spacecraft

Why did the Chinese government suddenly open a state secret to the public? On the first of the month, when the foreign press corps was allowed to cover the Jiuquan satellite launch centre, from which the "Shenzhou 5" manned spacecraft was launched, with that question in mind, we entered the site at the invitation of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With an eye on satellite business as well, they want to ease the criticism that has been spreading in other countries concerning the "military utilization of space" and "being secretive", and to show a softer face to international society... [ellipsis as received] It would appear that that was China's real reason.

Travelling east by bus from the city of Jiuquan in Gansu Province, which was one of the outposts on the Silk Road, one arrives in Jinta Xian [County] in about one hour. Staff personnel from the Gansu provincial government who accompanied us on the assignment announce that "from here on taking pictures is not allowed", and when a camera is pointed outside a window, they stop it by saying "you can't do that".

On the map, the launch centre is in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, but the residential area for those involved is located in Gansu Province, the neighbour to the west, so that province handles administration of the area related to the centre.

Originally, the entire area around this launch centre was a "restricted zone", and foreigners were prohibited from entering. Jinta Xian is a rural oasis with spreading cornfields. The road is paved, but since it has not been repaired, the road is full of bumps, so the vehicle continues to shake violently.

About three hours after leaving Jiuquan there is a small military airfield and a line of several tanks appears. Beyond that point, the flat road stretches forever into the desert. After travelling for about an hour through the white sands spread over a highland area 1,000 m above sea level, a barrier of trees to prevent sand drifts and the launch centre appear as small points far ahead.

Military personnel answer questions with a smile

We are first taken into the "Dongfeng Command and Control Centre". Here as well we are instructed to "leave your cameras and portable phones on the bus". There are no signs or markings on the building, and on the first floor a red banner with the words "love the motherland ardently and make selfless contributions" has been hung up.

On the third floor there is a high-ceilinged control room, with an enormous screen built into the wall. On the tables, which are arranged in five rows, there are nameplates with things on them such as "General Headquarters", and there is a line of computer screens. Compared to a command centre in the West, there is nothing particularly surprising.

Prior to this news assignment, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs notified us that "the trip to the launch centre is not a news story but a visit. There will be no interviews there, nor will questions be permitted." At the site, however, military-related individuals in charge of the centre appear, providing simple explanations and answering questions with a smile.

Nothing is forthcoming that goes beyond what has already been reported. We are given their names, but no information at all about their affiliations or military ranks. One person would not even give his age, and a member of the press corps asked jokingly "are ages also state secrets?"

Finally, after arriving at the launch platform and the hangar/ assembly building, permission to take pictures is given. The launch platform is about 105 m high, and really looks big when you stand right under it. Perhaps feeling relieved, the foreign ministry personnel taking us around for pictures begin happily to take commemorative photos with the launch platform in the background.

After that, those in charge take the press corps around to places such as a hothouse where eggplants are grown, a place where cattle are raised, and a large pool, and the "visit" is hastily concluded.

Regarding the opening to the public of this site one year after the launch of the "Shenzhou 5", an aide to the Gansu provincial governor simply says that "China would like to pursue international cooperation with foreign firms with regard to satellite business."

China is planning to launch the "Shenzhou 6" from the Jiuquan satellite launch centre in the second half of the coming year. According to the Chinese government, the flight of the "Shenzhou 5" lasted one day with one astronaut, while the "Shenzhou 6" is scheduled to carry two astronauts on a flight lasting about five days.

They are planning to launch a lunar lander in 2010, and an unmanned recoverable vehicle in 2017. At the same time, there is a plan to construct a "comprehensive ground-space network", including a space station, and they are said to be thinking of developing a large space station into a spaceflight base at some point in time.

China's space programme - ties to military development

China's space programme began in the 1950s, when Dr Qian Xuesen, who was involved in the development of ballistic missiles in the United States, returned to China. In April 1970, about two months after the launch of Japan's first man-made satellite, the "Osumi", [China] succeeded in launching its first man-made satellite, the "Dongfang Hong".

At that time, the satellite launch was referred to as "two bombs and one satellite" (the atom bomb, the hydrogen bomb and a man-made satellite). The expression pays homage to their success in developing nuclear [weapons] and launching a satellite under demanding economic conditions, and the space programme has been closely tied to military development.

The manned space programme was launched in 1992. In 1996, they signed a space cooperation agreement with Russia, introducing life- support and spacecraft docking systems. In November 1999, they succeeded in the launch of their first unmanned spacecraft, which was named the "Shenzhou" by (then) President Jiang Zemin.

The first manned spacecraft, the "Shenzhou 5", was launched from the Jiuquan satellite launch centre in October 2003, and it was also recovered successfully. China thus became the third country in the world, behind Russia (the former Soviet Union) and the United States, and the first in Asia, to launch a manned spacecraft.

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