Xi takes part in deliberation at annual national legislative session

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, on Thursday took part in deliberation with his fellow deputies from the delegation of Jiangsu Province at the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress, China's national legislature.

The 8-day fourth session of the 14th NPC opened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Thursday morning.

Xi takes part in deliberation at annual national legislative session

Xi takes part in deliberation at annual national legislative session

Xi takes part in deliberation at annual national legislative session

Xi takes part in deliberation at annual national legislative session

The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceflight mission have boarded the spacecraft for a flight to China’s Tiangong space station.

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to blast off at 23:08 Beijing Time (15:08 GMT) from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The three Chinese astronauts, commander Zhu Yangzhu, spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan and payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, climbed aboard the spaceship with the help of technicians.

Following the launch, the astronauts will complete an in-orbit rotation with the outgoing Shenzhou-21 crew, and one of them will conduct a one-year in-orbit stay, double the usual duration of previous Shenzhou missions.

Notably, astronaut Lai Ka-ying is also the first astronaut from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Shenzhou-23 marks the 40th flight of China's manned spaceflight program, and the seventh manned flight mission since the Tiangong space station entered its application and development phase in late 2022.

Shenzhou-23 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch

Shenzhou-23 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch

Shenzhou-23 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch