Fifty-five diplomats visited the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation on Monday, where the country's leading space enterprise demonstrated its latest technologies and reaffirmed its commitment to global cooperation.
Their first stop was the China Academy of Aerospace Electronics Technology, which has played a critical role in developing satellite communications, remote sensing and microelectronics.
It has also trained more than 2,000 international professionals, making it a major hub for global knowledge-sharing in aerospace technology.
Elia Kaiyamo, Namibia's Ambassador to China, highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two countries,
"Namibia and China for the past 25 years have been cooperating. One of our important cooperation and agreement with two countries is the Swakopmund tracking station. We want more people from Namibia to join this important technology," said Kaiyamo.
The second stop, the China Academy of Space Technology, or CAST, is the backbone of China's space engineering efforts. Many of its programs already involve global partners.
Bilal Chaudhary, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in China, revealed the latest developments in the China-Pakistan space partnership.
"We are currently in the process of the selection of those astronauts. They will come here and get the training at the Chinese academies. Then they will go in space alongside Chinese astronauts. So once again that will be another historic occasion in our collective journey into space," said Chaudhary.
Diplomats visit China's leading space company
Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Italy and Greece on Saturday to protest against U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, with protesters in Rome, Milan and Athens condemning Washington's actions and calling for respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
In Rome, more than 1,000 demonstrators marched toward the area near the U.S. Embassy, calling on Washington to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
Police blocked roads around the embassy to prevent protesters from approaching the building, but demonstrators continued to denounce U.S. actions.
"First of all, we oppose U.S. imperialist aggression. This kind of behavior is shameful. The U.S. is attacking a sovereign country, and as [U.S. President Donald] Trump himself has said, this is for oil interests," said protester Giovanni Barbera.
Saturday's rally marked the second large-scale protest in Rome this month against U.S. military operations in Venezuela, following an earlier one on on Jan 3.
Participants included members of multiple political parties, labor unions and social organizations. The protesters held banners reading "Stop imperialist interference" and "Free Maduro," urging the international community to respect Venezuela's sovereignty and the will of its people, and condemning the U.S. for violating international law.
"We are protesting the way the U.S. handles international politics. Since the events of January 3, we have seen violations of international law, and we are very concerned about how the global situation is developing," said protester Stefano De Angelis.
Organizers said solidarity rallies in support of Venezuela were held in 30 Italian cities on the same day.
Meanwhile, similar protests were also staged in Greece. About 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Athens, voicing support for Venezuela and opposition to U.S. military actions.
"We oppose U.S. imperialism and its attack on Venezuela. At the same time, the U.S. is also threatening Cuba, Mexico and Greenland. We must stand up against this behavior," said Greek protester Argiro Sirmakezi.
Protesters rally in Italy, Greece against U.S. military operation in Venezuela
