China's Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship successfully docked with the space station combination on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
The spaceship, launched 20:59 Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station's core module Tianhe at 03:32 Friday (Beijing Time).
The whole process took approximately 6.5 hours, said the CMSA.
The astronaut trio aboard Shenzhou-18 will then enter the Tianhe module, where the three astronauts of the Shenzhou-17 crew are ready for their arrival.
China's Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship docks with space station combination
China's Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship docks with space station combination
China's Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship docks with space station combination
China's Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship docks with space station combination
The upcoming state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Hungary will greatly deepen the relations and cooperation between the two countries, said Hungarians in interviews with China Central Television (CCTV).
President Xi is scheduled to pay state visits to France, Serbia and Hungary from May 5 to 10.
"Chinese president is going to visit our country. This is a very good thing. China is a country with a long-lasting culture. President Xi Jinping's visit is conducive to maintaining and developing Hungary's relations with China. Given China's status in global economy, this visit will be fruitful for both sides," said Victor, a Budapest resident.
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between China and Hungary. Hungarians believe Xi's upcoming state visit will further strengthen the bilateral relationship.
"That could establish some relationship and could make stronger the one that already exists," said Julia, another Budapest resident.
"It would help [establish] stronger communications and relationships between the two countries and between Europe and Asia. So I think it's a good one, good thing to do," said Ede, still another Budapest resident.
As President Xi said, the key to state-to-state relations lies in close bonds between peoples, and music has long been an important bridge for the friendship between Chinese and Hungarian peoples.
The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, founded in 1875 in Budapest, has established partnership with many music institutions in China since a Chinese opera house visited it, according to Gyula Fekete, vice president of the academy.
"It's always good to know what's going on in China, because it's a different culture, different folk tradition. I think that the Chinese students are interested in the Hungarian folk tradition, about all that kind of regional folk music. And then, we are interested in the Chinese folk tradition, because eventually this is very similar. We learned that the musical roots are basically very similar," he said.
Fekete said the academy hails the upcoming state visit of President Xi. Highly agreeing with Xi's proposal to build a community with a shared future for mankind, he said the best way to enhance mutual understandings between different ethnic groups and nations is music.
"I think, because we are all humans, and then we fight for the same goals. And I think music is the best way to start with because it's a universal language," said Fekete.
Hungarians look forward to President Xi's upcoming visit
