THE successful launch of China's first manned spacecraft, the Shenzhou-V, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre at 9:00am October 15 makes China the third nation to send a man into space, following the former Soviet Union and the United States.

The Shenzhou V has now become the focus of intense media attention, with no efforts being spared to fill in the news gap on the big event.

"The lunch of the Shenzhou V marks the inexorable advance of China's space technology progress," commented Xia Liping, an expert on strategic research from the Shanghai Institute for International Studies.

"In fact, the manned spacecraft is an important step in human exploration of outer space, and the development of space technology will greatly accelerate technological progress in meteorology, agricultural and other sectors."

However, some may wonder how so many Chinese people can be living very poor lives at the same time as China proceeds so quickly in space exploration.

"China has seen a robust economy in the past two decades due to the reform and opening up policy," Xia explained.

"Yet such tremendous and profound changes inevitably create certain economic imbalances in different areas in such a vast state. Therefore, China's scientific improvements will serve as the impetus for development in some fundamental sectors."

Xia said countries seeking their own space development could be divided into two groups, with Russia and the US as the first group, representing the most advanced technology. China, together with European countries, Japan and several others are categorized as the second group.

Stride forward

"If China can make a breakthrough into manned spacecraft on the heels of Russia and the US, it will help China make a big stride ahead, and will also help China apply its space technology to commercial co-operation with other countries," he said.

"Also, now it is time that the space technology urgently requires a breakthrough after Space Shuttle Columbia broke up early this year."

Although China had long stressed that it explored the space in the interests of world peace, China's Shenzhou V has still provoked worries from some countries.

According to Xia, such concerns were connected with the context that the US and the former Soviet Union linked space exploration to strengthen their military power.

The former Soviet Union became the first country to place an astronaut in space, in 1961, and American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human being to step onto the moon in 1969.

"The current goal before our government is to help its people live well-off lives by 2020, an objective mapped out at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China," he said. "The first 20 years of this century are a period of important strategic opportunities, which need seizing firmly. China is seeking peaceful growth, not the creation of antagonism."

The expert repeatedly mentioned that China's achievements in space explorations would provide channels for furthering international co-operation.

No threat at all

"Some analysts and experts in other countries may argue that China may become a threat," he said. "However, some others are applauding our progress, for China may also play its role in advancing human space exploration."

China has won wide recognition in recent years around the world as a responsible country.

"Many countries have realized they can gain additional development opportunities from China's growth," he added.

When more countries have joined the global arms control campaign, Xia said, China's space programmes would contribute to the prevention of the armament of outer space.

"During the cold war, outer space became new zone of military competition between the two parties. This was by no means good for human safety or world peace," he said.