People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps The People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps () is a unit of the People's Liberation Army Strategic Support Force that is responsible for the selection and training of astronauts for the Chinese manned space program (Project 921). In August 1992, the Manned Space Program Command proposed to select astronaut candidates from the People's Liberation Army Air Force fighter pilots to the Central Military Committee and the proposal was approved in September. In October 1992, a Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense-PLAAF jointed task force started the preliminary selection; 1,506 pilots were identified and
Chinese as a foreign language prolific Chinese writer. With his wide command of the language, Ricci impressed the Chinese literati and was accepted as one of them, much to the advantage of his missionary work. Several scientific works he authored or co-authored were collected in the "Siku Quanshu", the imperial collection of Chinese classics. Some of his religious works were listed in the collection's bibliography, but not collected. Ricci and Ruggieri, with the help of the Chinese Jesuit Lay Brother Sebastiano Fernandez (also spelled Fernandes; 1562–1621), are thought to have created the first Portuguese-Chinese dictionary some time between 1583 and 1588. Later, while travelling on