Xi greets astronauts, lauds space program

President says the latest mission has inspired nation to greater innovation and creativity

President Xi Jinping hailed China's latest achievements in space exploration and stressed the importance of scientific innovation in the field while meeting on Tuesday with Tiangong II and Shenzhou XI astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong.

Xi had lengthy chats with Jing and Chen while shaking hands with them at Beijing's Great Hall of the People, as seen on China Central Television's evening news program.