The China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A is launched on a Long March-4B carrier rocket at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province on Dec. 20, 2019. A new satellite, jointly developed by China and Brazil, was sent into space on Friday, pushing forward the aerospace cooperation between the two countries, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The satellite is the sixth satellite under the earth resource satellite cooperation program between the two countries. It will obtain global optical remote-sensing data and support the Brazilian government's monitoring of the Amazon rainforest and the country's environmental changes. Photo:Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro, on Friday exchanged congratulatory messages on the successful launch of China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) 04A.

In his message, Xi noted that China and Brazil launched the CBERS cooperation program 31 years ago, setting a successful precedent for aerospace cooperation between developing countries and a good example for South-South cooperation in high-tech fields.

The successful launch of CBERS 04A came as China and Brazil are celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Xi said.

He expressed hope that the two sides earnestly implement their 10-year aerospace cooperation plan, and actively advance follow-up satellite cooperation, so as to enrich the China-Brazil comprehensive strategic partnership for the benefit of both countries and their peoples.

For his part, Bolsonaro said that Brazil and China have witnessed fruitful aerospace cooperation over the past years, and that the successful launch and operation of CBERS 04A marked the latest major achievement and will play an important role in the two countries' efforts to monitor and utilize natural resources.

Brazil, he added, will continue to strengthen friendly cooperation with China in various areas.