SHI Zhongjun, China’s ambassador to UN, announced in Vienna on May 28 that all member states of the United Nations are welcome to cooperate with China to jointly utilize its future China Space Station (CSS), saying that CSS belongs not only to China, but also to the world”. Interested public and private organizations, including institutes, academies, universities and private enterprises with scientific orientations, can identify their appropriate models of cooperation on board CSS, may it be the growth of a space plant, or even the accommodation of an astronaut. CSS, expected to be launched by 2019, and complete and brought into operation by 2022, will be the world’s first space station that is developed by a developing country and open for cooperation with all UN member states.”
CAS news release, May 29, 2018