China is planning to complete a crewed mission to the surface of the Moon before 2030, officials said.
Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the Chinese Manned Space Agency, told reporters that the country was preparing for a “short stay on the lunar surface and human-robotic joint exploration,” according to AP.
Officials made the announcement at a media briefing at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre that was held for the three astronauts that launched to China's Tiangong space station last week.
They also revealed plans to expand the station by adding a fourth module to it.
“We have a complete near-Earth human space station and human round-trip transportation system,” Mr Lin said.
China has previously said that it planned to achieve lunar landing capabilities by the end of the decade, with both the US and China targeting the same region on the Moon.
US space agency Nasa is working towards sending humans to the lunar surface in this decade under its Artemis programme, and plans to send a crewed mission around the moon in 2025.
Race to the Moon
A number of decades have passed since the former Soviet Union and the US were in the first space race, but now there is similar competition between the US and China.
Nasa administrator Bill Nelson told Politico in an interview in January that the US space agency should “watch out” for China.
“It is a fact: we’re in a space race,” he said.
“And it is true that we better watch out that they don’t get to a place on the Moon under the guise of scientific research.
“And it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they say, ‘Keep out, we’re here, this is our territory.’”
China has plans to build the International Lunar Research Station on the Moon and is looking to Russia for a partnership.
Five facilities and nine modules are planned, which are intended to support long and short missions to the Moon's surface and orbit.
Meanwhile, the US has plans to build the Lunar Gateway – a small station in the Moon's orbit that astronauts would live in before descending on to the lunar surface.
Nasa has been awarding contracts to private companies to expedite its Artemis programme.
SpaceX and Blue Origin have been hired to develop human lunar landing systems for the space agency.
China now a major space power
China has a thriving space sector that includes human flights to its new space station, planetary, lunar and deep-space exploration, a satellite navigation system and the continued development of its space transport system.
China completed 2,017 missions between 2016 and December 2021, including 183 by the Long March carrier rocket series.
The country has already landed robotic missions on the Moon and Mars.
When Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield tweeted a story on China's plans to land astronauts on the Moon before 2030, billionaire Elon Musk replied: “The China space programme is far more advanced than most people realise.”
Why don't China and the US work together in space?
China is gradually opening up its military-run space programme to other nations, and is inviting countries to contribute to its lunar research station.
It also said that it would open up its space station to astronauts from other countries.
But the US is unlikely to work with China anytime soon.
The Wolf Amendment, passed by US Congress in 2011, prohibits Nasa from engaging in direct or bilateral co-operation with the Chinese government or China-affiliated organisations.
The rule came into effect when China was accused of using American intelligence to enhance its missile technology.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20SupplyVan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2029%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20MRO%20and%20e-commerce%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
More from Neighbourhood Watch
Virtual banks explained
What is a virtual bank?
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority defines it as a bank that delivers services through the internet or other electronic channels instead of physical branches. That means not only facilitating payments but accepting deposits and making loans, just like traditional ones. Other terms used interchangeably include digital or digital-only banks or neobanks. By contrast, so-called digital wallets or e-wallets such as Apple Pay, PayPal or Google Pay usually serve as intermediaries between a consumer’s traditional account or credit card and a merchant, usually via a smartphone or computer.
What’s the draw in Asia?
Hundreds of millions of people under-served by traditional institutions, for one thing. In China, India and elsewhere, digital wallets such as Alipay, WeChat Pay and Paytm have already become ubiquitous, offering millions of people an easy way to store and spend their money via mobile phone. Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also among the world’s biggest under-banked countries; together they have almost half a billion people.
Is Hong Kong short of banks?
No, but the city is among the most cash-reliant major economies, leaving room for newcomers to disrupt the entrenched industry. Ant Financial, an Alibaba Group Holding affiliate that runs Alipay and MYBank, and Tencent Holdings, the company behind WeBank and WeChat Pay, are among the owners of the eight ventures licensed to create virtual banks in Hong Kong, with operations expected to start as early as the end of the year.
TWISTERS
Director: Lee Isaac Chung
Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos
Rating: 2.5/5
The%20Hunger%20Games%3A%20The%20Ballad%20of%20Songbirds%20%26%20Snakes
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%C2%A0Francis%20Lawrence%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3ERachel%20Zegler%2C%20Peter%20Dinklage%2C%20Viola%20Davis%2C%20Tom%20Blyth%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BIG SPENDERS
Premier League clubs spent £230 million (Dh1.15 billion) on January transfers, the second-highest total for the mid-season window, the Sports Business Group at Deloitte said in a report.
