To quote:

China opened up the control room at Aerospace City in the Beijing suburbs - the centre from where it has run its two manned space launches - to foreign observers yesterday as part of its efforts to be included in joint space projects.

The rare visit by foreign reporters was allowed as the country is keen to gain access to the International Space Station and other joint projects and assuage fears that its space programme is driven by military needs.

The country's first astronaut, or taikonaut as they are known in China, Col Yang Liwei, met Western reporters for the first time since he orbited the Earth in October 2003 on the country's maiden manned space flight on Shenzhou V.

Full article here:

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article1129740.ece