Kim Jong-Il and other leaders of the communist state on Friday sent congratulatory messages to President Hu Jintao and other Chinese leaders, on the successful launch of the first manned spaceship by China, it said.

"The message said that the launch of the manned spaceship in China is a significant event, which demonstrated that its overall national power has further increased and its science and technology reached a high level," KCNA said.

"It sincerely wished the Chinese people greater success in their future work to modernize the country and further develop the space science and technology under the leadership of the CPC (the Communist Party of China) with Hu Jintao as its general secretary," it said.

South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun also congratulated China Thursday, expressing hope that China will contribute to the advancement of global science and technology and prosperity of mankind based on the "great achievement".

China Wednesday launched an astronaut into space aboard the Shenzhou V craft, propelling it into the elite club of countries with manned space programmes alongside Russia and the United States.

SPACE.WIRE