(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-03-26 13:07

BRASILIA - The newly sworn-in head of the Brazilian Space Agency (BSA) Carlos Ganem said Tuesday that Brazil cherishes the ties with China and will deepen cooperation with China in the field of space technology.

Ganem made the remarks during his inauguration ceremony. A technical expert who engaged in the first negotiations on the China-Brazil satellite cooperation program, he said the project is an excellent example of bilateral cooperation.

Ganem also expressed the hope that the Chinese people could know the importance of bilateral cooperation in space and the Brazilians' willingness to increase cooperation with China and to promote the development of bilateral ties through the cooperation in space.

Minister of Science and Technology Sergio Rezende said on the same occasion that the China-Brazil satellite program has developed smoothly.

The jointly-developed satellite has helped Brazil better monitor the deforestation in the Amazon region, which can provide useful information on Brazil's environmental protection efforts, said the minister.

The BSA also said Tuesday that it will intensify cooperation with its international counterparts, including the launching of a joint satellite  with Argentina and the reconstruction of a satellite-launch base with Ukraine.