An Analysis of International Cooperation in China’s Manned Space Flights

Initiating its manned space program in 1992, China’s relevant technologies and activities have been developing at a rapid rate and have gained remarkable achievements over the last decades. China is the third country in the world that has developed manned spaceflight independently. The historic experience verifies that manned space activities are normally undertaken by the means of cooperation among the space powers. Based on the achievements and limitation of China's international cooperation in this regard, this article will identify and analyze the major legal issues under the frameworks of the International Space Station and the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization so as to give a consolidated foundation for China's future international cooperation in manned space flights; explore the obstacles for China to expand international cooperation and provide suggestions on how to overcome them.