China will launch Shenzhou VI spacecraft in one or two years, said Xie Mingbao, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, Thursday.

Asked when China will launch its next Shenzhou series spaceship at a press conference in Beijing Thursday morning, Xie noted that China had launched four Shenzhou spacecrafts in the past four years, or once every year on average.

"So I think that on the basis of well summing up the experience of the successful launch of the Shenzhou V manned spacecraft, the country will send its next Shenzhou craft in one or two years," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2003)