Belgian astronaut Frank de Winne on Wednesday wished China success in its second manned space mission and Chinese spacemen a smooth journey in the next five days.
De Winne, from the European Space Agency (ESA), is the fourth European astronaut who has boarded the International Space Station.
He told Xinhua that China has independently turned into the third country with manned space flight after Russia and the United States, a feat Europe has not accomplished yet.
The second manned space flight with over 100 technical improvements shows China's rapid development and strength in this field, the Belgian astronaut said.
The success of the mission will not only promote China's development, but also turn into a great contribution to that of mankind, de Winne said.
De Winne also humorously advised Chinese astronauts, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, not to miss marvelous scenes in space, especially to admire the Earth from spacecraft's windows during the trip.
They can share the wonderful feelings with 1.3 billion Chinese people after they return, de Winne said.
China's Shenzhou VI spacecraft successfully sent two astronauts into the orbit at 9:00 a.m. Beijing time (0100GMT) on Wednesday.
(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2005)
