BEIJING, NOV 9 – China has confirmed that a Pakistani astronaut will join the Shenzhou-24 crewed mission as a payload specialist, marking the first time a foreign astronaut will participate in a joint flight mission under China’s crewed space program and visit the Chinese space station.

In response to a question at Monday’s Foreign Ministry press briefing, Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the mission would be another major milestone in China-Pakistan cooperation, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.