China congratulates Pakistan on remote sensing satellite launch

China has extended warm congratulations to Pakistan on the successful launch of its new remote sensing satellite from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, reaffirming their close bilateral cooperation in science and technology.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Chinese Embassy in Islamabad commended Pakistan’s achievement following a tweet from Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, who celebrated the milestone.

“May this satellite further strengthen our iron brother’s capabilities in land resource survey and disaster prevention and alleviation,” the embassy said in response.

The launch is seen as a continuation of deepening strategic ties between the two countries, particularly under the umbrella of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which includes collaboration in space technology.

Pakistan successfully launched its latest remote sensing satellite from China’s Xichang Satellite Launch Centre (XSLC), said the foreign ministry.

The launch was carried out by SUPARCO, Pakistan’s national space agency, in collaboration with the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) and MICROSAT China.

The ministry said the satellite would significantly enhance Pakistan’s capacity for high-resolution, round-the-clock Earth observation. It will support a range of areas, including disaster management, urban planning, environmental protection, agricultural monitoring, food security, climate change analysis, and water resource management.

The satellite is part of an integrated Earth observation system and is expected to boost Pakistan’s socio-economic development and sustainability efforts.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar lauded the engineers and technical teams from SUPARCO and its Chinese partners for their “exemplary cooperation and unwavering commitment.”

“This achievement reaffirms Pakistan’s standing in the community of spacefaring nations,” the Foreign Office statement said. Officials say the satellite will also improve early warning systems and help respond to environmental risks more effectively.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal also congratulated the nation on the successful launch, calling it “another proud moment” for the country.

In a post on his official X handle, he said the achievement reflects the dedication and excellence of SUPARCO’s team and marks a new milestone for Pakistan’s space programme.