Orbit is China's first step to moon

Orbit is China's first step to moon

"Aside from putting a man into orbit, a government White Paper published in November 2000 laid out plans for a fast track effort to launch a Chinese space station, send probes to the moon and eventually establish a manned base on the lunar surface. .. Beyond that, scientists are also looking at sending robotic probes to Mars while simultaneously putting out feelers exploring the possibility of joining the International Space Station. .. From their approach China's space scientists seem confident of their technological ability to catch up with, match, and, in some cases, jump ahead of the more established space powers -- namely Russia, the United States and, to a lesser degree, the European Space Agency . "

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/10/09/china.space.plans/index.html