A Pakistani astronaut is set to join a future mission to China’s Tiangong space station, as part of expanding space cooperation between Islamabad and Beijing, Chinese officials confirmed on Wednesday.

The development follows the signing of a landmark agreement between the two countries at the end of February this year, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Addressing a press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, CMSA spokesperson Lin Xiqiang said that the selection process for Pakistani astronauts is currently underway. “The selection will follow the same rigorous process as that of Chinese astronauts, comprising three stages — preliminary, secondary and final,” he said.

While the preliminary selection is being carried out in Pakistan, the subsequent stages will be held in China. Two candidates will ultimately be shortlisted to undergo training at Chinese facilities.

“One Pakistani astronaut will take part in a joint spaceflight mission as a payload specialist,” Lin added, noting that aside from routine crew responsibilities, the astronaut will also conduct scientific experiments on behalf of Pakistan.

The move comes amid China’s broader push to deepen international collaboration in its space programme. Beijing is currently engaged in discussions with other countries to include their astronauts in future missions to the Tiangong space station.

The announcement was made as China prepares to launch the Shenzhou-20 mission — its latest manned spaceflight — scheduled for 5:17pm local time on Thursday. The launch will mark another step in China’s ambition to establish a long-term presence in low Earth orbit.

According to CMSA officials, the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft will transport astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie to the Tiangong space station. This will be Chen Dong’s third mission, while the other two astronauts — a space engineer and a former air force pilot — will be making their debut.

The crew will conduct space science and technology experiments, install a space debris protection system, and undertake extravehicular tasks. The mission also includes biological research involving zebrafish, planarians, and streptomyces to further life sciences research in microgravity.

The Shenzhou-20 crew is scheduled to remain aboard the space station until late October and will be resupplied mid-mission by the unmanned Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft. The current crew of Shenzhou-19 is expected to return to the Dongfeng landing site on April 29.

In a related development, Chinese media has reported that astronauts from Hong Kong, Macau, and Pakistan — part of the country’s newly inducted fourth batch — are undergoing training for future spaceflights. The Hong Kong and Macau astronauts are likely to embark on their first missions by 2026.

The inclusion of a Pakistani astronaut in an international mission marks a significant milestone for Pakistan’s space ambitions and comes as the country seeks to expand its scientific and technological cooperation with China.