The country should attach the same importance to protecting the safety of all citizens as it did to protecting our space heroes' well-being, says an article in the Beijing News. An excerpt follows:

During Shenzhou VI's space flight, the safety of the two astronauts was always a major concern for the whole country.

About 150 kinds of emergency schemes were designed, ready to be implemented during the manned space flight in the event of an emergency.

The safety of the space flight is more important than anything else. This safety does not only cover the rocket and spacecraft, but also that of the spacemen and every worker behind the scenes at mission control.

The safety of human beings should be the ultimate goal of social development.

Such an idea should not only apply to the space industry. It is also applicable to all citizens. We should try to protect every citizen just as we have looked after our spacemen.

During the period of economic transition, China has seen a high incidence of various types of accidents with an enormous casualty list. But the fact is that most of these human tragedies could be avoided if enough attention was paid and sufficient safety measures were adopted.

All citizens, no matter what their background is, are equally entitled to personal safety. The safety of a spaceman should be given utmost importance, and so should that of every migrant worker.

The country should mobilize all available resources to rescue from danger any citizen, no matter whether he or she is a farmer or a national space hero.

(China Daily October 21, 2005)