PLA Daily 2005-10-17

　　The earth-orbiting Shenzhou VI has drawn attention not only from home but also from abroad. For the past five days, China has held the spotlight of the world, while the hearts of all the Chinese people have been linked to the space. Today, the re-entry module of the Shenzhou VI manned spacecraft, carrying the hopes and dreams of the Chinese nation, successfully returned to the earth amid the joy and expectation of hundreds of millions of Chinese people. The event marks a new height that China has scaled in the process of being present in the outer space, a fresh achievement of carrying out and putting into effect the concept of scientific development and another paean of China's rapid take-off.

　　The Shenzhou VI manned space mission was another space voyage of the Chinese people after Shenzhou V and the first time for Chinese astronauts to carry out space scientific experiment in its real sense, which has created the Chinese history of manned space mission with "more than one astronaut to fly for several days", indicating a new breakthrough China has made in the field of space science and technology. Several generations of collective leadership of the Central Committee of the CPC have shown great foresight and made correct judgment of the situation in making the space program as one of the vital strategies of rejuvenating our motherland. As early as 1992, the Chinese manned space program has identified the "three-phase" strategic goal. As the kick-off of the second phase of the "three-phase" strategy, the Shenzhou VI manned space flight has played the role of a connecting link between the preceding and the following. This feat of great daring has opened an entirely new charter for the Chinese space program, will dynamically boost the development of the Chinese space undertaking and will immensely inspire the spirit of the Chinese nation.

　　It is a roar that shakes the space and a flight that boosts the national prestige. China, which is set to usher in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan period with impressive accomplishments, is standing at the new historic starting point. Let us closely unite around the Central Committee of the CPC with Hu Jintao as the general secretary, translate the spirit of the manned space mission into a powerful driving force for promoting reform and opening up and the modernization construction, and into our actual practice of boosting the modernization drive of national defense and the army, and make greater contributions to the construction of a well-off society and to the realization of great cause of rejuvenating the Chinese nation.

　　(Oct. 17, PLA Daily)