To be situated in Beijing, China, the new space confab is to promote use of space resources and space applications in the Asia-Pacific region. The charter for the proposed Asia-Pacific space group was voted upon and passed in Beijing.

Luo Ge, director of the Foreign Affairs Department of the China National Space Administration, said APSCO could be established by next year, given that five or more of the countries formally approve the constitution.

Among those attending the Second Meeting of the Drafting Group on the APSCO Convention: Representatives from Bangladesh, Brazil, China, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Iran, Malaysia, Mongolia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Pakistan, Ukraine, Chile, the UN Economic and Social Council and a UN office in charge of outer space affairs.

According to China's People's Daily, members of the proposed organization have agreed to strengthen exchange and cooperation in space technology under the principle of "mutual benefit and equality". APSCO is a bid, the news service said, to promote peaceful exploration and use of space resources for the progress and "common development of humankind."

Luo, also secretary-general of the Asia-Pacific Multilateral Cooperation in Space Technology and Applications, said that countries interested in joining the proposed APSCO intend to make use of space technology for environmental protection, disaster reduction, resources exploration, construction, telecommunications and distance education.