Funeral held for pioneering space scientist

A funeral for Liang Sili, one of China's top space scientists, was held at Beijing's Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery on Monday.

An academic at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the International Academy of Astronautics, Liang died from an illness on Thursday morning at age 91.

President Xi Jinping has offered condolences to Liang's family, saying that the scientist dedicated his life to China's space program and contributed greatly to making the country a strong space power. The president said Liang was respected for his patriotism, devotion and excellent work style.