China on Tuesday
held a ceremony to confer on the country's astronaut team the title
of "Heroic Astronaut Team" for the great job it has done during the
past five years.
At the ceremony held at the Beijing-based Space City, Li Jinai,
member of the Chinese Central Military Commission (CCMC) and
director of the General Armament Department of the People's
Liberation Army, read the decree signed by CCMC Chairman Jiang
Zemin to honor the astronaut team.
The team of 14 astronauts has performed outstandingly in its
training of astronauts since it was formed in January 1998 and
during the country's first manned space mission last month,
according to the decree.
On Oct. 15, Yang Liwei, a member of the team, entered outer
space aboard the Shenzhou V spacecraft from Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Center and landed safely as planned in North China the next
day, after orbiting the Earth 14 times on the 21 hour mission.
The successful mission made China the third country after Russia
and the United States able to put people into outer space.
Yang Liwei and his 13 teammates were all present at the
ceremony.
(People's Daily December 3, 2003)
