COOPERATION in space exploration between China and the Philippines could lead to a Filipino astronaut joining Chinese astronauts manning a space station, a ranking Chinese Embassy official in Manila said on Monday.

China Embassy Counselor Dr. Ji Lingpeng pondered such a possibility in a press briefing following the announcement of the six Awards for Promoting Philippine China Understanding (Appcu) laureates for 2023.

Lingpeng was one of the resource speakers at the ceremony.

China recently sent three astronauts to space. Beijing also reportedly plans to send its astronauts to the moon

before 2030, and is interested in bringing along foreign partners.

Lingpeng said China’s space technology has developed rapidly the past years.

He noted that of the 17 active astronauts in the world, six are Chinese. “Yesterday, three Chinese astronauts have come back to the earth safely.”

“I think ... this [Appcu] aims to promote people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding between our two countries. I think that with this, we make potential cooperation between our two countries,” Lingpeng said.

He said that early this year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had “a very successful visit to China, and President Xi Jinping and him have emphasized the importance of the cooperation in wide areas.”

Lingpeng said Manila and Beijing can “explore many ways to enhance our cooperation, including space cooperation.”