China launches first space flight

China has launched its first manned space mission, sending an astronaut hurtling into orbit and becoming the third country in Earth's history to do so -- four decades after the Soviet Union and the US.

With a column of smoke, the Shenzhou 5 craft cut across a bright, azure north west China sky. The official Xinhua News Agency immediately confirmed the launch and said the astronaut was air force Lieutenant Colonel Yang Liwei, 38.

"China's first manned spacecraft, the Shenzhou 5, blasted off," Xinhua said. China Central Television's Channel One, the government's flagship station, cut into its programming to announce the launch, though no footage was immediately shown.

Minutes later, a CCTV announcer said that Shenzhou 5 and Yang had entered orbit.

It was the culmination of a decade of efforts by China's military-linked manned space programme -- and a patriotism-drenched moment for a Communist government more concerned than ever about its profile on the world stage.

Security was tight around the remote Gobi Desert base, some 175 miles north east of Jiuquan.

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