BEIJING: China remains open to cooperating with countries, including the United States, in space. However, the foreign ministry's spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that the U.S. needs to remove existing legal barriers for further cooperation. Currently, U.S. law prohibits any direct or indirect collaboration with NASA.

China remains open towards cooperation with countries including the United States in space, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, following congratulations from U.S. space agency NASA on China's Chang'e-6 mission to the far side of the moon.

But the United States needs to remove obstacles towards further cooperation, Mao Ning, a spokesperson at the ministry, said at a regular news conference.

China is currently banned by U.S. law from any collaboration with NASA, directly or indirectly.