With several reusable rocket models scheduled for their maiden flights this year, China is advancing its space capabilities, aiming to make space access more affordable and efficient, said a Chinese aerospace expert.
The development aligns with the goals outlined in this year's government work report delivered by Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday at the opening meeting of the third session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) -- China's national legislature -- in Beijing. The report emphasizes safe and healthy growth of emerging industries, including commercial spaceflight.
Reusable rockets, which can return to the Earth and be refurbished for multiple launches, are a game-changer for the aerospace industry. They significantly reduce launch costs and increase launch frequency, making space access more affordable and efficient.
"After rockets can be recovered and reused, the main changes we'll see are faster launch frequencies and, of course, a noticeable reduction in launch costs. This shall bring us closer to the reality of large-scale, rapid, and free access to space. From a technological development perspective, the application of recovery technology will drive upgrades and innovation in our capabilities," said Rong Yi, rocket designer from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
China has been actively advancing reusable rocket technology. Last year, both CASC and private aerospace company LandSpace successfully conducted 10-kilometer vertical takeoff and landing tests for reusable rockets.
This year, several models, including the Zhuque-3 and Tianlong-3, are set to make their debut or undergo further testing. Additionally, China is developing a new generation of crewed rockets, one of which will feature reusable technology.
"Strictly speaking, the new generation of crewed launch vehicles is a series that includes at least two configurations. One is the Long March-10, which everyone is familiar with and which is designed for lunar missions. The other is a smaller rocket primarily for transporting crew and cargo to the space station, which will undergo upgrades. Given its design characteristics, this smaller rocket is well-suited for reuse and recovery, so it has been assigned the additional mission of testing reusable technology. Both models are progressing smoothly and will be unveiled to the public as early as possible," Rong said.
China advances reusable rocket technology, aiming for cost-effective space access: expert
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
