Send-off ceremony held for Shenzhou-23 astronauts before launch

A send-off ceremony for three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceflight mission was held on Sunday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to blast off at 23:08 Beijing Time Sunday (15:08 GMT) from the launch site to dock with China's Tiangong space station.

The three Chinese astronauts, commander Zhu Yangzhu, spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan and payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, reported to the commander-in-chief of China's manned space program that they were ready to undertake their mission.

After receiving an order from the commander-in-chief, the astronauts boarded a vehicle and departed for the launch site amid cheers from a crowd of well-wishers.

The three astronauts will take over command of China's Tiangong space station from the Shenzhou-21 crew currently in orbit, 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.

Send-off ceremony held for Shenzhou-23 astronauts before launch

Send-off ceremony held for Shenzhou-23 astronauts before launch

Send-off ceremony held for Shenzhou-23 astronauts before launch

Send-off ceremony held for Shenzhou-23 astronauts before launch

China stands ready to work with Uzbekistan to usher in a new "golden decade" for bilateral relations, as the two sides celebrate the 10th anniversary of the China-Uzbekistan comprehensive strategic partnership, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday during a meeting with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Xi said that under the guidance of the two heads of state, China and Uzbekistan have elevated and upgraded their bilateral relations, reaped fruitful results in cooperation across various fields, and achieved remarkable success in building a China-Uzbekistan community with a shared future.

China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to consolidate strategic mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly usher in a new "golden decade" for bilateral relations, he said.

No matter how the international landscape may evolve, China's commitment to deepening China-Uzbekistan friendship remains unwavering, Xi said, adding that China will, as always, support Uzbekistan in pursuing a development path suited to its national conditions.

He called on the two countries to work together to advance bilateral cooperation.

Both sides should promote the high-quality construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, expand cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence and desertification control, and uphold mutual benefit, Xi said.

He stressed the need to speed up the establishment of cultural centers in each other's country, expand cooperation in education and poverty alleviation, and foster people-to-people bonds.

It's important to make full use of the law enforcement and security cooperation mechanism between the two countries, and join hands to fight the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, Xi said.

As the SCO's founding members, China and Uzbekistan should work together to implement the outcomes of the Tianjin Summit, and advance regional development and prosperity, he said.

Mirziyoyev said that Uzbekistan remains firmly committed to developing relations with China and will not change this course amid shifts in the international landscape.

Uzbekistan is willing to work with China to deepen political mutual trust, expand trade and investment, strengthen cooperation in agriculture, transportation, energy, minerals, and science and technology, promote people-to-people exchanges, and fight the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism, advancing the further development of bilateral relations, he said.

The Uzbek side firmly upholds the one-China principle, highly values the four global initiatives proposed by President Xi, and stands ready to work with China to advance the SCO development and uphold international fairness and justice, Mirziyoyev said.

Xi arrived in the Kyrgyz capital on Sunday for the SCO Summit 2026 and a state visit to Kyrgyzstan.

China ready to work with Uzbekistan to usher in new "golden decade" for bilateral relations