Pakistan and China have agreed to enhance their collaboration in space sciences, focusing on astronaut training and the establishment of a Pakistan Space Center as part of a new five-year action plan. This agreement falls under the “Action Plan (2025–2029)” for a closer China-Pakistan partnership in the new era.
The two nations will continue to implement the “2021–2030 Space Cooperation Outline Program,” which was signed between the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO). Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to joint work on lunar and deep space exploration, including multilevel assessments of the International Lunar Research Station and increased collaboration in advanced space technologies.
The action plan will facilitate the joint selection and training of astronauts, a step that could pave the way for Pakistan’s eventual participation in human spaceflight missions in collaboration with China. A key point of the plan will be continuous discussions on establishing the Pakistan Space Center, which will serve as a hub for the research, development, and application of space technologies for both economic and social development.
The two countries also expressed a shared goal to strengthen cooperation on the use of the international version of the China Platform of Earth Observation System. This will allow Pakistan to access advanced remote sensing and satellite technologies to support key sectors like agriculture, disaster prevention, water management, climate monitoring, and urban planning.
The action plan highlights space technologies as essential for Pakistan’s economic modernization and is expected to further deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries. Both nations noted that their long-standing cooperation in space science and technology is not only mutually beneficial but also strategically significant, reflecting their shared resolve to expand collaboration in frontier domains alongside traditional areas such as trade, infrastructure, and defense.
