China recruits new astronauts

BEIJING - China has recruited five new astronauts, Xinhua reported Friday.

The recruits, five males and two females, are pilots between 35 and 30 years old. The male recruits were previously fighter pilots, while the women were transport plane pilots.

They all have excellent skills with good psychological qualities and are qualified both in clinical and space medicine, officials of the General Armament Department of Chinese People’s Liberation Army said Friday.

Their training will begin soon to help them accustom with the space programme.

China began to select astronauts in 1998. In 2003, China sent its first astronaut Yang Liwei into outer space in the Chinese-made spacecraft Shenzhou-5.