18 January 2021
China published its Regulations on the Management of Lunar Samples on Monday morning, aiming to improve scientific research and international cooperation. The regulations were published by the administration at an open house for a small group of foreign diplomats to China and representatives from some international organizations to the Chinese Academy of Sciences' National Astronomical Observatories in northern Beijing. The activity was hosted by the administration and the academy. In terms of international cooperation, the document stipulates that the samples' distribution will be in accordance with international treaties China has signed or taken part in. Meanwhile, the China National Space Administration has encouraged researchers at home and abroad to use the samples in joint studies on space science and to share their findings with each other.
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Link to document text on CNSA website (in Chinese)

18 January 2021
Construction of China's first smart manufacturing plant for satellites has been completed in Wuhan. Satellite production will start in March. CASIC Space Engineering Development, a Wuhan-based subsidiary of State-owned defense giant China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, said on 17 January that construction of the plant, in Xinzhou district's Wuhan National Space Industry Base, and installation of its equipment were finished on 30 December. Engineers and technicians have been testing and fine-tuning its apparatus since then and will be ready by March, when the satellite production can start.
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19 January 2021
CNSA has published a list of 10 preselected names, the outcome of a global naming campaign that run from 24 July to 16 August 2020. In October, a panel of 32 experts selected 10 semi-finalists after evaluating 39,808 submissions from 38 countries and regions. The participants ranged from 7 to 95 years old. The proposals reach from "Hongyi," which means having a broad and strong mind in Chinese, to "Qilin," a legendary animal, and to "Nezha," a beloved Chinese mythological figure.
Netizens at home and abroad can now take part in the poll running from 20 January (12:00 h) to 28 February (midnight) to help decide the name of the Mars rover. CNSA will pick the three most popular names based on public voting and the opinions of an evaluation committee. The final name will be announced when Tianwen-1 lands on Mars.
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20 January 2021
China will further optimize its meteorological observation and forecasting operations in the coming years, raising its meteorological capabilities to the most advanced global standards by 2035.
China raised its level of meteorological modernization during the period by setting up an integrated observation system consisting of around 70,000 ground observation stations, 216 radars and seven satellites. The system covers all county-level regions of the country.
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