DATE=11/22/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA / SPACE (L-O)
NUMBER=2-256422
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China's national pride over the weekend's successful
first space launch was reflected Monday in the media
throughout the country. V-O-A's Stephanie Ho reports, in
addition to being a demonstration of China's growing
technological prowess, some Chinese experts say the space
flight also has major military implications.
TEXT: With the successful return of the unmanned space
vehicle Shenzhou, which means Divine Ship, China moves
nearer to its goal of becoming the third country to send
humans into space.
Chinese newspaper headlines Monday hailed the shuttle as
bringing glory to the country. The space flight dominated
the front page of the Communist party's main newspaper, the
People's Daily. A sidebar story urged "promote space flight
and bring glory to the nation."
A photo caption on the front page of the official English-
language China Daily read "Landmark launch shakes the
world."
Other newspapers carried special editions on Monday, with
details of the mission, as well as pictures of Shenzhou in
orbit and the capsule after it touched down early Sunday
morning in Inner Mongolia.
National pride was not the only focus. Chinese papers also
raised the issue of how the technology needed for the space
launch can also be used for military purposes.
The state-run China Business Times quoted military expert
Song Yichang as saying the launch is proof Beijing has
mastered technology that could enable it to overcome U-S
anti-missile defenses.
Mr. Song told the newspaper the same low-power propulsion
technology used to adjust a space crafts's orbit in flight
could also be used to alter the path of offensive missiles.
The report said having this ability is equivalent to being
able to counter T-M-D - a regional theater missile defense
system that the U-S and Japanese governments are exploring.
China has vehemently opposed T-M-D, saying it could spark a
costly and dangerous arms race. It also fears T-M-D
technology could be passed on to Taiwan.
The China Business Times report did not clearly explain how
information from Shenzhou's flight could be used for Chinese
missiles. But it said a manned space flight could provide a
large amount of practical data on low-power rocket
propulsion technology.
The Chinese leadership decided in 1992 to begin the
country's space program. China is striving to join the
former Soviet Union and the United States in the exclusive
club of countries that have put humans in space.
China is expected to carry out more unmanned test space
flights before it launches a vehicle carrying astronauts.
(SIGNED)
NEB/HO/FC
22-Nov-1999 04:53 AM EDT (22-Nov-1999 0953 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
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