Two Pakistani astronauts are receiving training at the Astronaut Center of China, China Manned Space Agency spokesman Zhang Jingbo said at a press conference at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest on Saturday.
"On the Space Day this year, that is April 24, two Pakistani astronauts had entered the Astronaut Center of China and received mission training alongside Chinese astronauts. As is planned, one of the Pakistani astronauts will carry out a short-term flight mission as a payload specialist and is undergoing basic training and professional space technology training following the tailored curriculum, with the focus on the training of hands-on operational capabilities to ensure the Pakistani astronauts could be fully qualified to complete the flight mission. Now all the work is progressing smoothly," Zhang said.
Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud were selected as the final candidates following the completion of the first selection of foreign astronauts for China's manned space program in early April, according to China Manned Space Agency.
"As for Chinese language study, intensive Chinese language courses are provided in the initial phase of the training, as to enhance their Chinese proficiency, and help them grasp basic Chinese knowledge and the specific command vocabulary needed for carrying out space missions," Zhang said.
Upon completing all the required training and passing the assessments, one of the two will participate in a space mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut to board China's Tiangong space station.
Two Pakistani astronauts receive training in China: spokesman
Two Pakistani astronauts receive training in China: spokesman
Heavy rains continued to hit central and southern China on Friday, causing multiple rivers to swell beyond warning levels and prompting rescue efforts to save stranded residents.
Shimen County in central China's Hunan Province has entered a critical period for flood control following days of persistent downpours. With a high risk of secondary disasters such as mountain torrents, landslides, and mudslides, local authorities have transferred all trapped residents to safety and imposed traffic controls on affected roads.
Torrential rains also triggered flooding across south China's Guangdong Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and east China's Jiangxi Province. From Thursday to Friday, 15 rivers exceeded warning levels, with the highest water level reaching 1.51 meters above the warning line. Most of these waterways have now receded below their alert levels.
Fangchenggang City, Guangxi, saw the sudden onslaught of continuous heavy rain, which caused severe urban waterlogging across multiple regions. Rising river waters trapped 15 residents in Baisha Village of Gangkou District. Local fire rescue teams rushed to the scene immediately and successfully evacuated all the trapped people in batches to safe areas.
In Yangjiang City, Guangdong Province, the Moyang River experienced its second flood peak on Friday morning, hitting 6.82 meters, which was 0.02 meters above the warning level. By Friday noon, the water level had dropped to 6.7 meters. Large and medium-sized reservoirs in Yangjiang have cumulatively intercepted over 100 million cubic meters of floodwater, easing flood control pressure downstream.
The widespread rainfall has also extended to parts of east and north China.
On Friday, heavy to torrential rains hit parts of east China's Anhui, Jiangxi, central China's Hunan, Hubei and southwest China's Sichuan provinces, with extremely heavy rain recorded in some areas of Xiangtan and Changsha in Hunan Province.
According to China's National Meteorological Center (NMC), a new round of heavy rainfall will also start to develop from northwest China's Shaanxi, central China's Henan and Hubei provinces on Saturday.
The NMC continued to issue a blue rainstorm alert on Saturday, marking the 12th consecutive day of rainstorm warnings since May 12.
Flood rescue operations intensify as heavy rain hits multiple regions in China
