China's transoceanic aerospace observation and control technology will accelerate preparations for the nation's manned space flight, an official with the China Base for Maritime Aerospace Survey Vessels said Friday.

The official noted that China is approaching the advanced standards of a small number of advanced countries in the sphere of transoceanic aerospace observation and control technology.

The country's four vessels for transoceanic aerospace observation and control served the four unmanned Shenzhou spaceships launched during the past three-plus year period from November 1999 to January 2003.

The vessels were deployed in the areas of the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Indian Oceans to observe and control the spaceships while in flight.

The vessels fulfilled the high-precision observation and control task with flying colors, the official said. This indicates that China has set up a mobile network of transoceanic aerospace observation and control across the three big oceans.

Chinese officials have disclosed that the country expects to send astronauts into orbit later this year.

China is the fourth country after the United States, Russia and France to develop transoceanic aerospace observation and control technology.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2003)