China lauds India's Mars mission as 'pride of Asia'
China said it is interested in working together with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on future projects. MOM reaches Mars | In pics: Mission accomplished | Chronology of events
China on Wednesday hailed India's successful Mars orbiter mission - the first such success by an Asian country - as the "pride of India" and the "pride of Asia", and said it was interested in working together with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on future projects.
"We congratulate India on the Mars satellite for entering orbit successfully," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.
"This is the pride of India and the pride of Asia, and is a landmark progress in humankind's exploration of outer space so we congratulate India on that," Ms. Hua said. MOM reaches Mars | In pics: Mission accomplished | Chronology of events
She added that China was interested in cooperating with other countries on the "peaceful development of outer space" and was "willing to work with the world to peacefully develop outerspace."
China has invested billions in its space programme, and plans to launch a space station by 2020. In December, China carried out a landmark "soft landing" on the moon - the first by any nation since the United States and erstwhile Soviet Union.