Space program demonstrates China's power

Chinese top legislator Wu Bangguo said on Sunday that the current manned space program demonstrated the country's ever-growing strength.

"We can proudly say that the program has become a key indicator of the prosperous development of socialism with Chinese characteristics", said Wu while greeting representatives of the ground crew of the mission.

The Shenzhou-9 spaceship was successfully launched on Saturday and is scheduled to conduct the country's first manned space docking with space lab module Tiangong-1 on Monday.

The mission is important for the second part of China's three-step manned space mission and will have profound influences, said Wu, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee.

He extended congratulations from the central authorities to the personnel and called on them to focus on the mission to ensure success.

On Saturday, Wu also attended the see-off ceremony for Shenzhou-9's crew, which includes China's first female astronaut.