Chinese astronaut Tang Hongbo, commander of the Shenzhou-17 mission, returned to Earth on Tuesday after a six-month stay in space.
Tang was the first of the three crew members of the spacecraft to emerge from the return capsule, after the module touched down the ground safely at the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at 17:46 Beijing Time, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
The landing came after Tang and his crew mates, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, handed over control of the Tiangong Space Station to the newly arrived Shenzhou-18 crew on Sunday.
With his return, Tang has set the record for the longest time spent in orbit so far -- 279 days -- among Chinese astronauts.
Upon landing, Tang said in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that he felt proud to have completed the six-month mission along with his two crew mates and that he missed his loved ones on Earth very much.
The Shenzhou-17's return capsule separated from its orbiting capsule at around 08:40 Beijing Time on Tuesday, as per the flight procedure.
Soon after the return capsule landed, the ground search team arrived at the landing site. Medical personnel confirmed that the crew members were in good health.
With the return of the crew, the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceflight mission was announced a complete success.
The Shenzhou-17 crew was launched into space on Oct 26, 2023 to man the Tiangong Space Station. During its six-month-long mission, the trio witnessed the arrival of the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft, completed two extravehicular activities, and carried out 84 in-orbit tests and space application experiments, and generated more than 200 samples, involving space life science and biotechnology, space medicine, space materials science and other fields.
First Shenzhou-17 astronaut comes out of return capsule
First Shenzhou-17 astronaut comes out of return capsule
First Shenzhou-17 astronaut comes out of return capsule
A Chinese mainland spokesperson said Lai Ching-te has sent "a dangerous signal" of seeking "Taiwan independence" and making provocations to undermine cross-Strait peace and stability in his speech upon assuming the role of Taiwan region's new leader on Monday.
Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, described Lai's speech as one that stubbornly followed the "Taiwan independence" stance, wantonly advocated separatism, incited cross-Strait confrontation and sought independence by relying on foreign support and by force.
Chen said the mainstream public aspiration on the island is for peace and development, instead of war and recession, while Lai has ignored the public opinion, exposing his nature of being "a worker for Taiwan independence."
The current complex and grave situation across the Strait is rooted in the fact that the Democratic Progressive Party has stubbornly stuck to the separatist stance of "Taiwan independence," rejected the 1992 Consensus that embodies the one-China principle, and kept colluding with external forces to make provocations of seeking "Taiwan independence," Chen said.
Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, said Chen, stressing that "Taiwan independence" and peace across the Strait are incompatible as fire and water.
"We have firm determination to resolve the Taiwan question and realize national reunification; we have strong capabilities to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity; and we will take resolute actions to fight separatist activities seeking 'Taiwan independence' and external interference," he said.
"We will never tolerate any 'Taiwan independence' separatist acts in any form," said Chen.
China must and will be reunified, Chen stressed. No matter how the situation on the island changes and who assumes the regional leader, it will not change the fact that both sides of the Strait belong to one China, or impede the historical trend of national reunification, he said.
"We will fully implement the Party's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan question in the new era, unswervingly uphold the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, work together with Taiwan compatriots to promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and cross-Strait integrated development, and resolutely advance the reunification of the motherland," said Chen.
Mainland says Lai sends "dangerous signal" in speech as Taiwan's new leader
