A Pakistani astronaut is set to become the first foreign national to travel to China’s space station. The astronaut will take part in China’s upcoming space mission, Shenzhou-24.

China’s Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced the development on Saturday (November 7).

According to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the move reflects the longstanding close diplomatic and strategic ties between Pakistan and China. In February 2025, the two countries signed an agreement to launch a Chinese government training programme for Pakistani astronauts.

The CMSA said on social media that the Pakistani astronaut would travel to space alongside the crew of the Shenzhou-24 mission. However, the agency has yet to announce the exact launch date. The mission is expected to take place towards the end of this year.

According to the Chinese space agency, the Pakistani astronaut will serve as a payload specialist. He will stay in orbit for a short period before returning to Earth aboard the Shenzhou-23 spacecraft, which docked with the Tiangong space station last May.

The CMSA has not disclosed the astronaut’s name. However, in April, the agency announced that two Pakistani astronauts, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, had been selected for training in China.

Over the past few years, China has made substantial investments in its space programme, seeking to strengthen its position in the global space race with the United States. Beijing has also set a target of sending humans to the Moon by 2030.

Given their longstanding friendship, China considers Pakistan an important partner in space exploration. China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner and one of its major foreign investors.

Under the 2025 agreement, Pakistani astronauts are expected to join Chinese astronauts on various short-duration space missions over the coming years following their training in China, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency reported at the time.