V. International Exchanges and Cooperation

The Chinese Government holds that outer space is the common wealth of all mankind, and each and every country in the world enjoys equal rights to freely explore, develop and utilize outer space and celestial bodies; and that all countries' outer space activities should be beneficial to the economic development, social progress of nations, to security, subsistence and development of mankind, and to friendly cooperation between people of different countries.

International space cooperation should adhere to the fundamental principles stated in the Declaration on International Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space for the Benefit and in the Interest of All States, Taking into Particular Account the Needs of Developing Countries. China maintains that international space exchanges and cooperation should be strengthened on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, peaceful utilization and common development.

Fundamental Policies

The Chinese Government has adopted the following policies with regard to developing international space exchanges and cooperation:

- Adhering to the principle of independence and taking the initiative in our own hands, carrying out active and practical international cooperation in consideration of the overall, rational utilization of domestic and international markets and resources to meet the needs of the national modernization drive.

- Supporting activities regarding the peaceful use of outer space within the framework of the United Nations. Supporting all inter-governmental activities for promoting the development of space technology, space application and space science as well as those conducted between non-governmental space organizations.

- Attaching importance to space cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, and supporting other regional space cooperation around the world.

- Reinforcing space cooperation with developing countries, and valuing space cooperation with developed countries.

- Encouraging and endorsing the efforts of domestic scientific research institutes, industrial enterprises, institutions of higher learning, as well as social organizations to develop international space exchanges and cooperation in different forms and at different levels under the guidance of relevant state policies, laws and regulations.