UN flags orbit planet 14 times in Chinese spacecraft as symbol of peace

Two United Nations flags were aboard China's first manned space flight, orbiting the planet 14 times, as a symbol of that country's "firm commitment to use outer space for peaceful purposes and for the betterment of all humankind," a UN spokesman said today.

The spokesman, Fred Eckhard, said UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan also extended his "warm congratulations to yuhangyuan Yang Liwei and the people of China on the successful conclusion of this historic mission and hopes that it will usher in a new era of international cooperation in the exploration and peaceful uses of outer space."

The Chinese Government had put the flags aboard the Shen Zhou V and showed televised pictures of Mr. Yang holding one.

According to the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (OOSA), Beijing formally requested the banners - one small, hand-sized flag, and a second measuring 120 by 180 centimetres - earlier this year and took delivery of them in September at OOSA headquarters in Vienna.

The flags will be returned to the United Nations at a future ceremony, Mr. Eckhard said.

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