After Chandrayaan, China wants to work with India on space exploration

Beijing : China on Tuesday congratulated India on the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-2 and expressed its desire to work with New Delhi for outer space exploration as both countries stepped up their space programmes including plans to build their own space stations.

"So, congratulations. We have noted the relevant reports and we welcome the successful launch of this probe by India," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing in response to a question.

India on Monday successfully launched its second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 on board its powerful rocket GSLV-MkIII-M1 from the spaceport in Sriharikota.

"The exploration of outer space including the Moon, is the common cause of all human beings. They should contribute to the welfare of all people," she said.

"China is committed to the peaceful use of outer space and we actively engaged in international communication and cooperation on the issue," she said.

"We would like to work with India for outer space exploration to deliver more benefits to mankind," she said.

Hours after the launch on Monday, China's lunar exploration programme chief Wu Weiren wished India's Chandrayaan-2 a success and said China, which is actively pursuing its own moon mission, is not in competition with any other country in planning its space missions.

International efforts to explore the Moon - including made by India, Israel and the US - which is determined to send its astronauts back to the Moon within five years, will be pressuring and motivating China's lunar probe missions to further develop, Wu was quoted as saying by the state-run Global Times commenting on the successful launch of the Chandrayaan-2 into space.