Xi orders building world-leading spacecraft launch site

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, April 12, 2022. Xi inspected the launch site on Tuesday and extended greetings to all the staff stationed at the site. [Xinhua/Li Gang]

WENCHANG -- President Xi Jinping demanded efforts to elevate a spacecraft launch site in southern China's island province of Hainan into world-leading standards when he inspected the site on Tuesday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.

He extended greetings to all the staff stationed at the site and asked them to shoulder their responsibility and be brave to innovate and make new breakthroughs.

After being briefed on the launch site, Xi inspected the launching tower and other facilities. He spoke highly of a series of key space missions launched from the site, including the launching of the space station core module Tianhe, the Chang'e-5 lunar mission, and the Tianwen-1 Mars probe.

Xi noted that Wenchang is the launch site of China's new-generation high thrust carrier rockets and the bridgehead of the country's deep space exploration.

The launch site should continue to eye the frontier of global space development and the major strategic needs of China's space industry, and comprehensively improve its modern space launch capabilities, said Xi.

China is scheduled to complete the construction of its space station this year. Tianzhou-4 and Tianzhou-5 cargo crafts, as well as Wentian and Mengtian lab modules will be launched from Wenchang.

Xi said the launch site should make meticulous efforts to ensure the missions' full success. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the launching tower and other facilities at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, April 12, 2022. Xi inspected the launch site on Tuesday and extended greetings to all the staff stationed at the site. [Xinhua/Li Gang]

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, April 12, 2022. Xi inspected the launch site on Tuesday and extended greetings to all the staff stationed at the site. [Xinhua/Li Gang]