China's first manual space docking successful

A Chinese spacecraft on June 24 successfully completed the country's first manual docking in orbit, a milestone in an ambitious program to build a space station by the end of the decade.

The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft linked with the Tiangong-1 module just over a week into a manned space mission which includes China's first female astronaut, following an automatic docking on June 18.

Veteran astronaut Liu Wang used a joystick-like device to carry out the maneuver*, with the official Xinhua News Agency describing him as "threading the needle."

Stricter rules for rare earth exploitation

China will implement stricter environmental standards for rare earth exploitation* while continuing to regulate the mining, production and export of the valuable resources, a government white paper said on June 20.

China will "implement stricter standards for ecological protection and protective exploitation policies concerning rare earth resources," according to the white paper titled "Situation and Policies of China's Rare Earth Industry."

Jiaolong refreshes national dive record

Oceanauts* refreshed the country's dive record in a manned submersible* by going deeper than 7,000 meters below sea level after a successful test dive in the Pacific Ocean on June 24.

The Jiaolong, China's manned submersible named after a mythical sea dragon, succeeded in diving 7,015 meters below sea level at about 11 a.m. local time during its fourth dive into the Mariana Trench.

Earthquake kills 2, injures 100

A moderate earthquake on June 24 toppled houses in a mountainous part of southwestern China, killing two people and injuring at least 100, State media said.

The 5.7-magnitude quake was centered near the border of Yunnan and Sichuan provinces where many Yi ethnic minority live, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. It said the casualties occurred in Yunnan's Ninglang County in Lijiang City, a well-known tourist destination, and Sichuan's Yanyuan County, where many houses collapsed.