China aims to lift Africa’s space ambitions in drive to beat US domination

Name: China’s Shenzhou 14 mission begins mission to finish the Tiangong space station
Uploaded: 2022-09-07T22:00:20.000Z
Duration: 1 min 29 s
Description: China’s Shenzhou 14 mission begins mission to finish the Tiangong space station

Tiangong astronauts chat with students from eight African nations at event showcasing China’s advances in space science and soft power play

Countries including Ethiopia, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Namibia have already started their space journey with Chinese help, mission to AU notes

Reading Time:4 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

Chinese astronauts at the Tiangong space station interact with African students via video link. Photo: CCTV

Jevans Nyabiage

Published: 6:00am, 8 Sep 2022

Africa’s space ambitions are set to get a further boost from China, as Beijing aspires to become a major player in the US-dominated field.

“China is willing to support African Union space initiatives and enhance our cooperation in that regard,” He Youlin, minister counsellor, said at an event where Chinese astronauts stationed in space connected with African youth from eight countries via video link.

Several countries, including Ethiopia, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Namibia, have already started their space journey with Chinese help, including satellite launches and aerospace infrastructure building, China’s mission to the African Union noted in a video played at the event.

01:29

China’s Shenzhou 14 mission begins mission to finish the Tiangong space station

Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, who are on a six-month mission to China’s under-construction Tiangong space station, answered questions on issues ranging from their life in orbit to scientific experiments conducted aboard the spacecraft.

The event, held at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, aimed to showcase China’s advances in space science as part of its soft power play in the continent.

Students from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and South Africa took part in the proceedings virtually from their respective Chinese embassies.

On a clear day, astronauts can spot the Sahara – the world’s largest hot desert – or Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa’s tallest mountain, through portholes on the Tiangong spacecraft, the students heard.