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China's spacecraft Shenzhou 8 and space station module Tiangong-1 accomplished the nation's first docking operation early Thursday.

Nearly two days after it was launched, the unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou 8 docked with space lab module Tiangong-1, marking another great leap for China's space program.

The success of the docking makes China the third country in the world, after the United States and Russia, to master the technique, moving the country one step closer to establishing its own space station.

President Hu Jintao, who is in France for the G-20 summit, sent a congratulatory message on the success of the country's first-ever space docking.

China is now equipped with the basic technology and capacity required for the construction of a space station.