China has taken significant steps in the past five years, and its ambitious manned space program is a source of pride for its Communist leaders. China put its first astronaut in orbit in 2003, followed by two more astronauts last year. Leaders of China's space program have expressed an interest in sending people to the moon and building their own space station. Earlier this month, Chinese and Russian leaders announced their intention to sign a cooperative agreement on moon exploration.
The US has its own plans to return astronauts to the moon and eventually go to Mars.
"The peaceful utilization of outer space is the common cause of mankind, and China is willing to cooperate with the US and other countries in the outer space field," said Qin Gang (
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