Pakistan and China to launch three earth resources satellites

China will work with Pakistan in the development of space technology and launching of three earth resources prospecting satellites in the next five years, APP learnt from official sources here on Wednesday.
The relevant institutions of the two counties have already started necessary spadework to launch the satellites within stipulated period. There had been growing interaction between the two countries in the recent years to exploit space resources for peaceful purposes.
The two countries have been playing an active role at the regional level as well, strengthening co-operation in the space industry. Pakistan, China and seven other countries signed a treaty for the establishment of Asia-Pacific Space Co-operation Organisation (APSCO) last year, and it would take effect upon ratification by five members.
China's legislature ratified the treaty in June, said Deputy Director of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, Jin Zhuanglong. We were looking forward to expand the country's share of the international market for satellite launches and other space services, he added.
Jin told an international conference on the space industry that China had already signed 16 pacts with 13 governments and organisations and established space industry co-operation with more than 40 countries and international organisations.
In Asia, China was actively engaged in the setting up APSCO, which would be based in Beijing. Eight countries, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Mongolia, Peru and Thailand signed the document last October. Turkey also signed the convention June this year, making it the ninth member of the organisation.
Chinese Vice Premier, Huang Ju said in a statement that China would work closely with related countries to contribute to the peaceful use of outer space. The formation of the APSCO will be beneficial to further exchanges and co-operation in space technology and its application and promoting economic and social development, and common prosperity, in the region, he added.
Huang hoped the countries could take the APSCO as a platform to carry out space co-operation to make people benefit from space technology and its application. Pakistan and China played a pioneering role in establishing the organisation, first of its kind to expand co-operation in space activities in the region.
According to the sources, Pak-China bilateral co-operation in the space industry could span a broad spectrum of topics of mutual priority. The areas of co-operation may include climate science, clean energy technologies, clean water technologies, cyber-security, basic space, atmospheric and earth sciences and marine sciences, the sources added.