A Chinese space expert has touted the value of the country's role in working with Africa on space technologies.

"China is keen to support the continent to develop technological applications for observation and communications satellites," said Li Meng of the China Academy of Space Technology.

He was talking after he and a young Cameroonian scientist, Moustapha Saya Kaigama, met his country's ambassador to China, Martin Mpana, in Beijing on Oct 21.

The space academy organized a short training course on managing space programs and satellite technology applications for 18 candidates from Argentina, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Iraq, Mongolia, Pakistan, Qatar, Sudan and Thailand.

Mpana said he wanted to congratulate Kaigama, "who has such Prometheus-conquering knowledge and expertise".

Various technologies and space applications for sustainable development were presented and developed during the training course, and special emphasis was placed on technology transfer between China and the participating countries, he said.

The course also looked at the application of space technologies in fields including agriculture, education, health, managing of infrastructure and natural resources, national security and telecommunications, he said.

For China Daily