Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

Space is not an "arena" of major-power rivalry, and China will continue to work with all parties to build an open "friend circle" in space and advance the common cause of the mankind's exploration of outer space, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference on Friday.

Guo made the remarks in response to a question over how China will expand more inclusive space cooperation and whether the country will further open its space sector to international partners given that the global space race has entered a "Competition 2.0 phase" characterized by rule-making and alliance-building, as Friday marks the 11th Space Day of China and the 70th anniversary of China's space programs.

Guo said that exploring the vast universe is a shared dream of all mankind and an unremitting pursuit of Chinese space explorers. He noted that through 70 years of continuous striving and self-reliance, China's space industry has grown from nothing to achieving historic leaps - evolving from launching artificial satellites and manned spaceflight to deep-space exploration.

The spokesperson emphasized that China consistently upholds international cooperation in outer space on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, peaceful use, and inclusive development.

In Africa, China has signed space cooperation agreements with multiple countries, and 10 paintings by African teenagers were flown to and displayed aboard the Tiangong space station. In South America, the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite is actively monitoring and protecting the Amazon rainforests. In Asia, Pakistani astronauts have been selected through a rigorous process and are expected to join Chinese astronauts aboard the space station, Guo said.