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China's Tiangong space station is expected to welcome its first foreign visitor—a Pakistani astronaut who will likely become the first from the nation to fly in outer space, according to a heavyweight cooperation agreement.

根据一项重量级合作协议，中国天宫空间站将迎来首位外国访客——一名巴基斯坦航天员，其很可能成为该国首位进入太空的人。

The agreement, signed by the China Manned Space Agency and Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission at a ceremony in Islamabad on Friday, covers the bilateral efforts to select and train Pakistani astronauts and then send some of them to China's Tiangong space station, which has been in orbit for nearly four years.

2月28日，中国载人航天工程办公室与巴基斯坦太空与高层大气研究委员会在伊斯兰堡举行仪式，正式签署《关于选拔、训练巴基斯坦航天员并参与中国空间站飞行任务的合作协议》，双方将共同努力，选拔训练巴基斯坦航天员，并将其中部分航天员送往已在轨运行近四年的中国天宫空间站。

Its signing, witnessed by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, marks the first time for China to help a foreign nation select and train astronauts, and also the first time for Tiangong to expect a non-Chinese visitor, the agency said in a news release.

中国载人航天工程办公室发布新闻称，巴基斯坦总理夏巴兹·谢里夫见证了协议签署，这标志着中国首次帮助外国选拔训练航天员，天宫空间站将迎来首位外籍航天员造访。

It said the two sides will spend about one year to complete the selection process and then send the Pakistani candidates to China to receive comprehensive and systematic training. It did not mention whether the selection has begun or when it will start.

新闻指出，双方将利用一年左右的时间完成选拔工作，巴基斯坦航天员将在中国接受全方位的系统训练。但选拔工作是否已经开始或何时开始尚未公布。

After the Pakistani trainees are ready, one of them will be chosen as the first foreign crew member to fly with Chinese astronauts toward Tiangong space station and spend a short-term stay inside the colossal spacecraft, currently orbiting Earth at about 400 kilometers above the ground, the agency noted.

中国载人航天工程办公室表示，在巴基斯坦受训人员准备就绪后，将选择其中一人作为首位外籍航天员，与中国航天员一道进入天宫空间站短期驻留。目前天宫空间站在距地面约400公里的近地轨道运行。

Until now, the highest altitude any Pakistani citizen has ever achieved is about 87.4 km, which was reached by female polar adventurer and artist Namira Salim during a 55-minute suborbital journey arranged by British-American aerospace company Vir