Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Secretary-General Zhang Ming and Nurlan Yermekbayev, who has been appointed as the next SCO secretary-general, in Beijing on Friday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, commended Zhang for his outstanding achievements in the development and growth of the SCO, congratulated Yermekbayev on his upcoming office, and said that China will continue providing support and convenience for the secretary-general in performing the duties and the work of the Secretariat.
Wang said that over the past three years, under the leadership of the heads of member states and the joint efforts of member states, the SCO has forged ahead with determination to upgrade cooperation and grow from strength to strength.
Noting that China now holds the rotating presidency of the SCO and is making every effort to advance its work, Wang said that the country has full confidence in the bright future of the SCO and is ready to work with other member states to build it into a force stabilizing international order, a reliable source of prosperity and rejuvenation for member states, and a happy home for people in the region.
The SCO Secretariat has accomplished much over the last three years, with the trust and care of member states and the support and assistance of China, and guided by the Shanghai spirit, Zhang said, adding that it has promoted practical cooperation in various fields, endeavored to enhance the international influence of the organization and the sense of gain felt by people in all countries, and become a clear promoter of the construction of a new type of international relations and a community with a shared future for all.
Yermekbayev spoke highly of China's leading role in the development of the SCO, saying that after taking office as secretary-general, he will continue to fully support the work of the Chinese presidency and work collaboratively to prepare for the SCO summit next year.
China's top diplomat meets SCO secretary-general, secretary-general-designate
China's top diplomat meets SCO secretary-general, secretary-general-designate
Chinese scientists have made improvements for the porthole of the Shenzhou-23 spaceship at the launch site to avoid potential emergency situations caused by space debris.
The Shenzhou-20 spaceship's return capsule viewport window suffered a suspected impact from space debris during its mission last year. The three Shenzhou-20 astronauts returned safely aboard the Shenzhou-21 spaceship on Nov. 14, 2025, and later on Nov. 25, China launched the Shenzhou-22 spaceship to provide a return vessel for the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts, who are currently in orbit.
To avoid such a potential emergency during the Shenzhou-23 mission, the porthole improvements were implemented ahead of schedule.
According to the original plan, the porthole upgrade was scheduled for implementation on the Shenzhou-24 spacecraft. However, after the Shenzhou-20 experienced an in-orbit space debris impact that affected the astronauts’ return, the team conducted a comprehensive assessment and decided to advance the upgrade to Shenzhou-23 to ensure a smooth and safe mission.
"The previous version of the viewport window had one layer of anti-ablation glass, while we increased that to two layers for the new window for dual redundancy. In addition, we have taken an extra protective measure as a final safeguard inside the capsule. These make up a three-layer anti-ablation function, adding an extra insurance for the astronauts to work and live safely and securely in orbit, and to return safely," said He Yu, chief commander of Shenzhou spacecraft of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Under normal circumstances, the viewport windows are installed at the spacecraft assembly workshop in Beijing before the capsule is assembled with other ones. But, since the Shenzhou-23 had already been manufactured and placed on emergency standby at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the porthole upgrade was conducted after all three modules had already been assembled -- a process much more difficult due to the confined space inside the capsule.
"Our guiding principle is putting people first. Moreover, we must further demonstrate the strength of China as a major country with strong aerospace capabilities. We will never allow space debris to affect the smooth progress of our mission," said the chief commander.
Shenzhou-23 spaceship undergoes porthole improvements at launch site
