China is waving the partnership flag in the cosmos, showing a keen interest in space collaboration with the U.S. During a press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning highlighted China's willingness to join forces in the final frontier, especially after NASA Administrator Bill Nelson lauded the achievements of the Chang'e-6 mission.
The Chang'e-6 mission marked a historic milestone by completing the first sampling and takeoff from the far side of the moon, sparking excitement and admiration globally. Many nations have praised the mission, and China is eager to keep the momentum going by enhancing space dialogue with the U.S.
Mao Ning emphasized that both nations have established pathways for collaboration, including the working group on Earth and space science cooperation and the civil space dialogue mechanism. Additionally, there's an exchange of orbital data between their Mars probes.
However, the journey isn’t without its hurdles. The long-standing Wolf Amendment, a U.S. legislation from 2011, currently blocks NASA from engaging directly or indirectly with China in space endeavors. Mao Ning urged the U.S. to take practical steps to remove these barriers if the goal is to foster genuine cooperation in space.
As both nations look up to the stars, the hope is that legislative obstacles will be overcome, paving the way for groundbreaking collaborations that could redefine our exploration of the universe.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com