China picks first 2 international astronauts from Pakistan

China on Wednesday announced that it has selected its first two international astronauts from Pakistan for its space mission training.

The China Manned Space Agency said that two Pakistani candidates, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, have been chosen to undergo training for missions to China’s space station, according to the state-run news agency Xinhua.

The selection process was carried out in early April, according to the agency.

Both astronauts will travel to China soon to begin training as reserve astronauts.

After completing all training and evaluations, one of the Pakistani astronauts will join a space mission as a payload specialist, becoming the first foreign astronaut to board China’s space station, Tiangong.

The two countries signed an agreement last year for a Pakistani astronaut to become the first foreign national to visit Beijing’s space station.

This selection marks a historic milestone, as it is the first time China has chosen and will train a foreign astronaut.

China's space station, Tiangong, consists of three modules and was completed between 2021 and 2022.