Posted: Wed, Oct 15, 2003, 5:02 PM ET (2102 GMT)
Foreign governments and space agencies have in general reacted positively to the news of China's first manned spaceflight. In a statement issued Tuesday night NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe congratulated the Chinese for their accomplishment, adding that NASA "wishes China a continued safe human space flight program." ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain issued a similar congratulatory message and noted that the launch could "open up a new era of wider cooperation in the world’s space community." The ESA press release also noted that the agency and China will soon sign a five-year agreement on space cooperation "for peaceful purposes" in science, technology, and navigation. Not all people were positive about the Shenzhou launch: the Associated Press reported that some people in neighboring countries, including Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, felt threatened by the development, linking the launch to more advanced military capabilities.

Related Links:

•  NASA press release
•  ESA press release
•  AFP article
•  AP article