China celebrates space docking success

Photo taken on Dec. 16, 2011 shows a rally to celebrate the success of China's first mission of space docking between the target orbiter Tiangong-1 and the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft, held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Photo taken on Dec. 16, 2011 shows a rally to celebrate the success of China's first mission of space docking between the target orbiter Tiangong-1 and the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft, held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

　BEIJING, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- China held Friday a rally to celebrate the success of the country's first mission of space docking between the target orbiter Tiangong-1 and the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft.

President Hu Jintao, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, gave a speech at the meeting.

Members of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang, also attended the meeting.

After the Nov. 1 lift-off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Shenzhou-8 successfully rendezvoused and docked twice with the Tiangong-1 space lab module, which was launched from the same site on Sept. 29.