BEIJING: A Pakistani astronaut will become the first foreigner to visit China’s space station when they join the country’s next mission into orbit, Beijing’s manned space agency said on Saturday. Pakistan and China are close diplomatic and strategic partners, and signed a deal in February 2025 setting up a Chinese government training program for Pakistani astronauts. The Pakistani astronaut will take off with the Shenzhou-24 crew, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on social media. The statement did not give a date of departure, but the mission is expected to take place by the end of the year. The Pakistani astronaut, a payload specialist, will join a short orbital flight before returning with the Shenzhou-23 spaceship, which docked at the Tiangong space station in May, according to the CMSA. The agency did not name the Pakistani crew member, but said in April that astronauts Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud had been chosen to start training in China. Beijing has invested heavily in its space program in recent years — catching up with its main rival the United States — and aims to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030. Pakistan is a natural partner, given the countries often tout their decades-long, “all-weather” friendship. China is Pakistan’s largest trading partner and a major foreign investor. Under the 2025 deal, following training in China, the Pakistani astronauts will carry out short-term missions with Chinese counterparts over the “next few years,” Beijing’s state news agency Xinhua reported at the time.