Godt Wedding

[Billy]

China plans to conduct experiments related to a moon landing, a senior science official was quoted as saying on Sunday, just days before the country is expected to launch its first manned space flight.

"China will continue to develop its space exploration plans. At a future time, China will carry out lunar landing and flight experiments," Wang Shuquan, deputy secretary of the Commission for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, was quoted as saying.

The report on the Web site of China News service said Wang had mentioned China's plans to put a man in space, but gave no details such as the exact date of the launch.

China is expected in the next few days to become only the third country to put a person into orbit after the former Soviet Union and the United States.

China's long-term space plans are expected to include an unmanned probe to the moon, followed by a manned lunar mission, experts have said.