China on a high

The mission also carries political significance for the Chinese government, which hopes to win good will and inspire nationalism in its citizens, many of whom regard the Communist Party as an irrelevant political dinosaur.

Top officials also want to display China’s growing technological savvy and stake a claim to being a world power considered equal to the United States. Until recent days, the mission has been cloaked in secrecy, down to the most basic information, including how many astronauts would be on board. But on Wednesday morning the lone astronaut proved to be Lt. Col. Yang Liwei, 38, who was chosen from a pool of 14.

‘‘I will not disappoint the motherland,’’ Sina.com, the country’s leading website, quoted him as saying. ‘‘I will complete each movement with total concentration. And I will gain honour for the People’s Liberation Army and for the Chinese nation.’’ A former pilot, Yang became an astronaut after passing an aptitude test in 1993.

Soon after he rose aloft on Wednesday morning, Yang was asked by a doctor at the control center about his condition, the New China News Agency reported, and he replied, ‘‘I feel good and my conditions are normal.’’ Assuming he can safely return the spacecraft to its landing spot in Inner Mongolia, Yang would become an instant hero, putting a human face on a mission that emphasized the prowess of space programme, rather than individuals.

‘‘The successful launching of the Shenzhou 5 manned spacecraft is a glory for our great motherland,’’ President Hu Jintao said, adding ‘‘and it signifies that our country has scored an initial victory in this first effort at manned space flight. It also signifies the Chinese people have made another historically significant step forward in their progress toward conquering the summit of world science and technology.’’ (NYT)