OREANDA-NEWS. March 15, 2010. Head of ROSCOSMOS Anatoly Perminov during the Russian, American, European, Canadian and Japanese space agencies summit on ISS further exploitation, ISS programme members are ready to cooperate with third countries, including China.
 
Perminov said: “China isn't a participant of joint programmes onboard of ISS yet, but everybody (delegations of ISS programme members) find possible for the third countries with manned flight programmes or projects that ISS allows to realize to cooperate in the scope of ISS programme. Third states interested in such cooperation can propose the projects and then they will be discussed by ISS programme members”.

The intention to cooperate with the third countries was also manifested by NASA director Charles Bolden, ESA head Jean-Jacques Dordain, and Canadian space agency head Steve Mclean, JAXA head Kenji Tachikawa on the space agencies summit on ISS further exploitation final press-conference in Tokyo. Kenji Tachikawa said: “At the present time Chinese space activity is fully independent, however if China or India are interested to join (ISS programme) we are ready to consider such proposals”.