United States' offer to provide early warning datum for China's launch of manned spacecraft has been welcomed by experts here as a goodwill gesture in recognition of China's position and moves of peaceful use of space resources.

Hu Shixiang, deputy commander in chief of China's manned space flight program, was the first Chinese space official that expressed appreciation over the US offer.

He told Xinhua on Oct. 12, the date manned spacecraft Shenzhen VI was launched, that the US State Department made the offer on Oct. 6 to prevent possible collision between Shenzhou VI and US orbiting spacecraft and some 13,000 space scraps the US monitors.

Zhang Zhaoyan, a research fellow with Beijing Space Science and Research Information Institute, said the US move indicates the world's leading space giant accepts China's space activities for peaceful purpose.

He said the United States, for many years, have been wary of any technological exchange and cooperation in space and other high-tech fields.

Chinese space experts were even barred from entering the US for international seminars as US refusal to issue them visas.

The United States on Wednesday congratulated China on launching its second manned space mission and welcomed any effort to make peaceful use of space.

"Our view is that the peaceful use of space is something that is appropriate and we welcome China's developments in this area."

Ni Feng, a research fellow with the American Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the attitude of the United States indicates US is confident about its technological edge in space technology.

In the eyes of the United State, there is a huge technological gap between the two countries and China is far behind the US despite its advances in recent years, Ni said in an interview with Xinhua.

The US sent astronauts into space orbit and even the Moon decades ago, he said.

Chinese experts say only the United States and Russia are capable of monitoring the space debris.

China has been an advocate of international cooperation in space field for years.

Sun Laiyan, director of the China National Space Administration, said China is willing to cooperate with other countries, including Western countries, in space projects for peaceful purpose on the principle of equality and mutual benefit.

Hu Zhixiang said China is willing to join hands with other countries in development of outer space, and the development should benefit the whole world as the space resources belong to the whole mankind.

Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert on China's space program at the US Naval War College, said the US and China should improve their cooperation in space field to promote world space exploration and development and prevent misunderstanding on space strategy.

China launched the spacecraft, Shenzhou VI, with two astronauts aboard, from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 9:00 AM (01:00 GMT) Wednesday for a mission that will last up to five days.

The flight came just two years after the country's first manned space mission which involved only one astronaut.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2005)