Update: Two Pakistani astronauts arrive in China for space mission training

Xinhua
24 Apr 2026, 17:18 GMT+10

BEIJING, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Two Pakistani astronauts have arrived in China and entered the Astronaut Center of China in Beijing on Friday to join training alongside their Chinese peers, the China Manned Space Agency announced.

Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud were selected as the final candidates following the completion of the first selection of foreign astronauts for China's manned space program in early April, the agency said in a statement on Wednesday.

Upon completing all required training and passing the assessments, one of the two will participate in a space mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut to board China's Tiangong space station.

The selection and training of Pakistani astronauts represents a landmark achievement in international cooperation on China's space station and demonstrates China's open attitude in sharing its space development achievements with the international community, the agency said.

In February 2025, China and Pakistan signed a cooperation agreement on the spaceflight of a Pakistani astronaut to the Chinese space station in Islamabad, officially launching the selection process for Pakistani astronauts.

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