China took foreign reporters on a tour of the command center of its secretive space program Wednesday, offering a gesture of openness to encourage Washington and other governments to allow Beijing a role in joint manned space projects.

Reporters who visited the site dubbed Aerospace City on Beijing's northwestern outskirts were shown the control room, where technicians have run two manned space launches, and an adjacent astronaut school.

The highlight was a 15-minute appearance by Col. Yang Liwei _ his first encounter with Western reporters since he orbited the Earth in 2003 on China's maiden manned space flight.

"We hope to further our exchanges with our counterparts in foreign countries and learn from each other," said Yang. "Let's join hands and work together to create a bright future for the peaceful use of space."

The carefully supervised 90-minute tour Wednesday was part of a charm offensive by China, which hopes to win access to the International Space Station and other joint projects by allaying fears about the goals of its military-linked program.


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