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A Long March-2F carrier rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft and a crew of three astronauts, lifts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert in northwest China on June 17, 2021, the first crewed mission to China's new space station. (Photo by AFP)

China space mission

China has successfully sent a manned mission to space for the construction of its self-developed space station. The spaceship, called Shenzhou-12, carrying three astronauts lifted off from a satellite launch center in northwest China. The astronauts will stay and work on the space station's core module, dubbed Tianhe, for three months. It is the first of 11 missions needed to complete China's first full-fledged space station. China started its construction in April with the launch of Tianhe, which is the first and largest of three required modules. Since 2003, China has launched six crewed missions and sent 11 astronauts into space. China is also the second country to put a rover on Mars after the US.

Row over Taiwan

The US House of Representatives will introduce bipartisan legislation in support of Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) next week. The bill, called the Taiwan Peace and Stability Act, is part of the US’s congressional efforts in taking a hard line in dealing with China. The Democratic and Republican leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia say the bill stresses the importance of Taiwan's stability, economy and development, and its participation in international organizations. However, they noted that the legislation does not question Washington’s commitment to One China Policy, under which Beijing has sovereignty over Taipei. China has repeatedly warned the US against its interference in Chinese Taipei. The self-ruled island continues to remain a major bone of contention between Beijing and Washington.

EU-Russia tensions

The European Union says its relationship with Russia has never been worse and is likely to deteriorate further. A new policy document on the matter from the European Commission will be considered by EU leaders next week.


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