The world marks its International Day of Human Space Flight on Monday, with Chinese President Xi Jinping making remarks to encourage Chinese space scientists to boost international cooperation in space exploration.

Xi met representatives of space scientists and engineers, who participated in the research and development of the Chang’e-4 mission at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Xi called on science and technology workers and space engineers in China to ride on the wave of the Chang’e-4 mission to achieve the general goal of China’s lunar project.

He urged them to make more efforts to push forward the international aerospace cause and bring more Chinese wisdom, solutions and force to the peaceful use of space and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi pointed out that exploring the vast universe was a common dream of all humankind.

China has been actively advancing international space cooperation and carried out productive cooperation with multiple countries and international organisations.

The complete success of the Chang’e-4 mission, for instance, includes contributions of many countries.

He hailed the complete success of the Chang’e-5 mission that brought back the country’s first samples collected from the moon.

He noted that there was no end to space exploration.

Xi expressed the hope that those who have participated in the Chang’e-5 mission would carry forward the lunar exploration spirit of pursuing dreams.

He encouraged those daring to explore, collaborating in tackling difficulties and win-win cooperation and start new interplanetary exploration so as to contribute more to building China’s strength in aerospace.

He also spoke on the need for achieving national rejuvenation, the peaceful use of space and the building of a community with a shared future for humanity.

Xi made a three-day inspection trip to southwest China’s Guizhou Province from Feb. 3 to Feb. 5.

During the trip, he met with the project leaders and core scientists of China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope.

He called on scientists to scale the heights of global science.

The President called on the scientists to make new and greater contributions to developing China’s scientific and technological strength at a faster pace and realising the country’s self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology.

FAST, which is tasked with the ultimate goal of revealing more about the universe, has been available to scientists across the world since April 1.

In the first year of the telescope’s opening to the global scientific community, about 10 per cent of the observation time would be allocated to foreign scientists.

Xi stressed the need to promote the lunar exploration spirit, give full play to the advantages of the new system of pooling national resources, strengths to ascend the peak of science and technology as well as serve the country’s overall development.

President Xi stresses full support for innovation

He emphasised embarking on a new interplanetary exploration journey step by step, promoting the innovative development of China’s space exploration cause, and making greater contributions to humanity’s peaceful use of space.

He also stressed the need to actively conduct international cooperation and making better contributions to humanity’s well-being.