A Pakistani astronaut will become the first foreign national aboard China’s Tiangong space station, as Beijing steps up space diplomacy amid a burgeoning battle with the United States for supremacy in orbit.

The three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-20 spaceship have entered the country's space station and met with another astronaut trio in the early hours of Friday, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover.

Three Chinese astronauts from the Shenzhou-20 mission have entered China's Tiangong space station, commencing a crew handover with the existing team. The six astronauts will collaborate for approximately five days,