China Manned Space Engineering Office and the African Union Commission

On September 6, the Chinese Mission to the African Union, the China Manned Space Engineering Office and the African Union Commission jointly held the “Tiangong Dialogue – Question and Answer Activity between the Shenzhou 14 Astronaut Crew and African Youth”. Ambassador Hu Changchun, Head of the Chinese Mission to the African Union, Bei Hexin, Member of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of the African Union Commission, Lin Xiqiang, Deputy Director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, Belit Mora, Minister of Innovation and Science and Technology of Ethiopia, Nearly 1,000 people including African Union envoys, representatives of the Chinese embassy in Africa, representatives of African youth, and the media attended the event.

The main venue of the event is located at the AU headquarters, and the branch venues are located in 8 countries: Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia and South Africa.

Ambassador Hu Changchun said in his speech that China and Africa share a common dream of exploring space, and today’s event reflects the close solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa, and also shows the firm will of China and Africa to join hands to climb the peak of science and technology. Under the guidance of the “Belt and Road” initiative and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, aerospace cooperation is becoming the highlight of promoting China-Africa cooperation. China has been actively helping African countries to cultivate various young talents for a long time and boosting African countries to enhance their self-development capabilities. Youth represents the future, and talent is the foundation of revitalization. It is hoped that African youth will work hard, master high-tech, and be committed to scientific development and progress.

Commissioner Behexin introduced the African space program and the development of the African Space Agency, thanked China for its outstanding contribution to the advancement of space technology in Africa, and said that the AU and China maintain high-level cooperation in the space field, and the AU Education, Science, Technology and Innovation Department We are willing to take this event as an opportunity to carry out more extensive cooperation with China.

Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang introduced the development history of China’s manned spaceflight and the overview of the “Tiangong” space station. He said that the “Tiangong” space station belongs to China and the world, and is an open platform for exploring the universe and conducting scientific research. African youths are welcome to fly jointly with Chinese astronauts on the Chinese space station in the future to carry out missions together.

At the event site, the main venue and branch venues of the AU headquarters were connected in real time respectively. Youth representatives from African countries from 8 sub-venues raised questions such as whether the Sahara Desert and Mount Kilimanjaro can be seen from the Temple of Heaven, how female astronauts can realize their dreams, life and recreational activities in space in zero gravity, what astronauts are performing missions, the qualities necessary for a good astronaut, etc. The three astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe answered their questions one by one. Their interesting and knowledgeable answers and live demonstrations aroused the amazement and thinking of African teenagers. Chen Dong described the vast and spectacular cosmic scene and the physical, psychological and professional skills that an excellent astronaut should possess. Liu Yang, as the first female astronaut in China, said that the warmth and support of her family gave her endless motivation, and women can be of high standards. After completing the training assessment and work tasks, Cai Xuzhe described how to identify the direction in space and the various scientific experiments carried out. The astronauts encouraged African teenagers to start their journey to the stars, hoping that they could earnestly learn and master their skills and bravely explore the mysteries of space.

Dr. Tidean, an AU aerospace expert, gave a lecture on the flagship strategy of Africa’s outer space and China-Africa space cooperation. He praised China’s rapid development of space technology, thanked China for its strong support to Africa’s space industry, and encouraged more African youths to join the space industry. Contribute to the realization of the AU Agenda 2063.

At the event, Ambassador Hu Changchun presented a model of the “Tiangong” space station to Commissioner Bei Hexin and was interviewed by Chinese and foreign media.

This “Tiangong Dialogue” event is one of the celebrations for the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the African Union. It is also the first time that major aerospace powers have close contact with African youth through the Sky-Earth connection. Support, active participation of African youth and extensive attention from the Chinese and African media circles.