China signed 31 inter-government agreements to collaborate on space-related programmes during the country's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15), and aims to continue that momentum over the next five-year period, it was announced on 7 January.
In a statement China's State Administration for Science, Technology, and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), which oversees the development of the country's aerospace and defence industry, said that during the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-20), China will seek to continue to expand space co-operation with international partners.
The agency, which reports to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, indicated that future collaboration will seek to leverage China's development of its international military/commercial navigation satellite system, BeiDou, with an emphasis on promoting exports of satellites and the development of ground systems.
