China has named the two Pakistani astronauts selected to train for a mission to its space station this year, Xinhua said on Wednesday.

After undergoing assessments, one of the men will serve as a payload specialist on a space mission alongside the Chinese crew to become the first foreign astronaut to enter the Tiangong space station.

Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud will soon arrive in China for their training, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

“The selection and training of astronauts for Pakistan is a milestone in the history of China’s space programme, a landmark achievement in international cooperation on the Chinese space station,” Xinhua said.

“[It is] another successful example of the implementation of the China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership in the space field. It fully shows the Chinese government’s open attitude of sharing the fruits of its space development with the international community.”