China's Vice Premier Visits Wenchang Commercial Launch Site
One of China's top political officials has inspected the nation’s newest launch site.
Ahead of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025 held in Hainan Province (海南), First-ranked Vice Premier of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang (丁薛祥) made an official visit to the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site. The visit is the highest level investigation of the Wenchang’s space launch infrastructure since President Xi Jinping’s (习近平) in April 2022.
Vice Premier Ding’s visit to the launch site was an official investigative visit to inspect the site’s future plans, active construction projects, and to evaluate management activity, according to Wenchang International Space City (文昌国际航天城管理局). Additionally, the Vice Premier spoke with various enterprises operating within the launch site, gathering opinions and suggestions on policy and investment.
One of the enterprises providing feedback was iSpace, of the Hyperbola launch vehicles. iSpace says they provided suggestions on developing the commercial space sector and utilizing their strengths for exploration.
Speaking to enterprises at the site, Ding Xuexiang emphasized that the development prospects for commercial space are supported as a new high-quality development force and that space enterprises should fully play into their advantages to push forward innovative efforts. The Vice Premier also pointed out that commercial space should strengthen its risk prevention efforts to ensure safe development.
This year the Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site is planning to perform ten launches, followed by up to forty with the completion of two new launch pads early next year. After that the site expects at least one launch per week moving forward.
Outside of the launch site, visits were made to other aerospace industries in Hainan. One such location was Hainan Free Trade Port’s massive airliner maintenance base. Visits were also made to local schools in rural parts of the province to understand what resources are needed to modernize all parts of Hainan.
Back at the Boao Forum, Ding Xuexiang stated the following regarding China’s innovation:
"We will move faster toward greater self-reliance and strength in sophisticated science and technology, facilitate the integrated development of technological and industrial innovation, and foster and expand emerging and future industries, even as we transform and upgrade traditional industries."
"In my view, apart from the rapidly developing new energy vehicles, other sectors such as artificial intelligence, biomanufacturing, quantum technology and the low-altitude economy will also thrive in China. They will offer opportunities not only for China, but also Asia and the world."