China, EU to increase space cooperation

Chinese and European Union (EU) representatives signed agreements to cooperate on space exploration at a Beijing space workshop. China and the EU have collaborated in space on the Double Star project since 2001, which included the launch of a satellite in December 2003. Officials said China and the EU plan for China's Double Star satellites to augment the EU's Cluster II project, which is studying the effects of solar winds on the Earth. China is also playing a role in the EU Galileo global positioning satellite program and has set up a related technical training and cooperation center in Beijing. The new agreement also includes plans to work together on hydrogen energy, emerging diseases and biotechnology.