Ex-KMT chief praises launch facility

Former chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang party Ma Ying-jeou on Tuesday praised the Chinese mainland's advancements in space exploration during a visit to a key satellite launch center, calling the progress "magnificent" and "remarkable".

Ma led a delegation of students from Taiwan to tour the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in the mainland's northwestern Gobi Desert. The facility is one of the mainland's primary bases for launching satellites and crewed spacecraft.

"This is magnificent," Ma said as he stood in front of a 75-meter-tall launch tower used for the Shenzhou missions, the human spaceflight program that began in 1999. "The Chinese nation is truly remarkable."

He Pengju, an expert at the center, said the tower has been used for crewed launches for more than two decades.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen, executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Culture and Education Foundation, told reporters after the visit that the students were "amazed" by the mainland's achievements in spacecraft technology.

Hsiao noted the mainland's leading role in global spaceflight, citing the launch of the Chang'e 6 mission last year as an example.

"It's truly impressive to witness the mainland's progress in space development," he said. "We hope that both sides of the Taiwan Strait will move toward peace and cooperation in the future."

At the 17th Straits Forum held on June 15 in Xiamen, Fujian province, Ma stressed the importance of pursuing peaceful cross-Strait relations and collaboration.

Hsiao echoed that message, expressing hope that the Chinese mainland and Taiwan can work together on developing and sharing advanced technologies.

The delegation has traveled through several cities along the Hexi Corridor in Gansu province, including Tianshui, Wuwei and Jiayuguan, and is expected to visit Dunhuang next.

"We've gained valuable insights throughout our journey in Gansu," Hsiao said.