China: China was triumphant after its first astronaut, Lieut Col Yang Liwei blasted off into space without incident, crowning a 40-year effort to match the Soviet Union and the United States.
The launch at 9 a.m. sharp was not announced beforehand or carried live on Chinese television but soon after the 479 tonne rocket blasted off from Jiuquan space centre in Inner Mongolia and was safely in orbit, the state media began reporting the congratulations of the new Communist Party Chief Mr Hu Jintao.
"The Party and the people will never forget those who have set up this outstanding merit in the space industry for the motherland, the people and the nation," said Mr Hu. "We are waiting for your triumphant return."
China's only spaceman is expected to splash down early today after 23 hours and after having circled the earth 14 times.
Mr Hu described his mission as "an honour for our great motherland, an indicator for the initial victory of the country's first manned space flight and for a historic step taken by the Chinese people in their endeavour to surmount the peak of the world's science and technology."
Mr Hu termed Lieut Col Yang Liwei (38) a "warrior" who was probing outer space on behalf of China, bearing the heavy trust of the motherland and the people to realise the "millennial dream" of the Chinese nation. He asked Lieut Col Yang to be courageous in performing this "glorious, sacred mission".
"I feel very good, don't worry," Lieut Col Yang told his wife from space as the Shenzhou V, or "Divine Ship V", started its eighth circuit around the Earth.
The official Xinhua news agency said the astronaut waved China's red national flag and the United Nations flag in his spacecraft during orbit.
Chinese media reports said Lieut Col Yang had little to do once the space craft had settled into an orbit 340 kms above the earth. He is supplied with ready to eat meals of stir fried rice and chicken and noodles.
In Beijing, news of the launch was greeted by most people with an air of triumph. "It shows we are becoming an advanced nation, and are catching up," said 44-year-old Ma Junbao.
In the United States, NASA Administrator Mr Sean O'Keefe described the launch as an important achievement.
"The Chinese people have a long and distinguished history of exploration," he said in a statement. "NASA wishes China a continued safe human space flight programme." Japan added its praise. "We want to offer our congratulations for the success from the bottom of our heart," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said.
A successful mission would mark the crowning moment for a space programme launched by Mao Zedong in 1958 but quickly left far behind in the Cold War "space race" rivalry that saw the United States put a man on the moon in 1969.
A year later, China launched its first satellite aboard a Long March rocket, which orbited the Earth blaring out the Cultural Revolution anthem The East is Red.
A tight veil of secrecy has blanketed the space programme and the 58.3-metre-high , 479.8-tonne craft.
(Additional reporting Reuters)