Shenzhou-20 crew prepares for return to Earth

The Shenzhou-20 crew on China's space station are preparing for their return to Earth after staying in orbit for more than six months.

The trio -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie -- are continuing with their experiments and equipment maintenance while getting ready for their journey back to the ground, as their mission nears its end.

During the past months, they have undertaken research and technology tests in areas such as the space life sciences, microgravity fundamental physics, space materials science, space medicine and advanced aerospace technologies.

They have also conducted multiple extravehicular activities and undertaken equipment maintenance and environmental monitoring in the space station.

The crew will rotate with the Shenzhou-21 astronauts who are scheduled to enter the space station and take over the work in orbit at an appropriate time in the near future, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Shenzhou-20 crew prepares for return to Earth

Shenzhou-20 crew prepares for return to Earth

Shenzhou-20 crew prepares for return to Earth

Shenzhou-20 crew prepares for return to Earth

Shenzhou-20 crew prepares for return to Earth

A Japanese lawmaker has raised concerns over Japan's push to expand its military and its nuclear policy.

Responding to some politicians' dangerous tendency towards possessing nuclear weapons, Takara Sachika, a member of Japan's House of Councilors, said that Japan's push to strengthen its military, combined with what she called a misguided nuclear policy, not only heightens regional tensions but also directly threatens regional security.

"I think this is completely unacceptable. Japan is a country that has suffered atomic bombings and is one of the nations most aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons. Yet such a country is openly discussing the issue of possessing nuclear weapons and even attempting to revise the principle of not allowing the introduction of nuclear weapons, one of the Three Non-Nuclear Principles. This is an extremely serious problem," Takara said.

Takara said the Japanese government's tendency to expand its military capabilities is completely contrary to the Constitution.

"From the perspective of Japan's Constitution, Japan should never have adopted a policy of ensuring security by strengthening military capabilities. Yet today, enormous effort is being poured into military expansion, and that in itself is a serious problem," said the lawmaker.

At a Diet meeting in early November 2025, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that what she described as the Chinese central authorities' "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and suggested the possibility of armed intervention in the Taiwan Strait, drawing strong criticism worldwide.

Takara urged Takaichi to retract her erroneous remarks as soon as possible.

"I think there is a very big problem with making such remarks that provoke other countries. It is necessary to thoroughly examine the facts as soon as possible and withdraw the relevant remarks," she said.

Japanese lawmaker criticizes nuclear weapons remarks as threat to regional security