China and Russia to strengthen aerospace cooperation: Putin

Russia's President Vladimir Putin said China and Russia will introduce major new measures to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of aerospace technology. He made the announcement on the sidelines of the ongoing St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, reports Sputnik News.

Russian president Putin visits the booth of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation at the Russian International Aerospace Exhibition in the city of Zhukovsky, Russia on August 25, 2015. [Photo: VCG]

President Putin said that China is a reliable partner, pointing to the history of mutually beneficial bilateral projects in the oil, gas, and nuclear energy sectors. He said that the two countries are also making new strides in renewable energy, automotive manufacturing, aerospace technology, and space exploration.

In November last year, the China National Space Administration and Russia National Space Corporation signed the "2018-2022 China-Russian Aerospace Cooperation Guideline". Bilateral cooperation was further strengthened after a Memorandum of Understanding on lunar and deep space development was signed in March, which covers lunar and deep space development, the development of special materials, cooperation on satellite systems, remote Earth sensing technology, and the tracking of spacecraft debris.

China and Russia are also discussing the possibility of exchange visits to each other's space stations. And they have also embarked on a project to develop super-heavy carrier rockets, said Tian Yulong, the general secretary of China National Space Administration at the 34th Aerospace Seminar held in April in the United States.