China is pressing ahead with its mission to land astronauts on the moon by 2030, moving quickly with development and construction efforts to turn this goal into reality, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at a press conference on Tuesday.
Production and ground tests of prototypes of the Long March-10 carrier rocket, the manned spacecraft Mengzhou, the lunar lander Lanyue, the spacesuit to be worn by astronauts and the manned lunar rover are underway as planned, said Lin Xiqiang, spokesman for the CMSA.
Lin also revealed the latest progress in the development of manned lunar rover during the press conference.
"In the selection process for the manned lunar rover plans, after two rounds of preferential choice, the teams from Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and the China Academy of Space Technology secured the top two spots. Each team showcased unique characteristics in innovation and advancement. Both have won the contract for the prototype development of the lunar rover, and are progressing with their respective projects. Following the completion of the preliminary development phase, a competition will be held to determine the team responsible for the lunar rover in China's first manned lunar mission," said Lin.
Lin said that they will also launch a call for suggestions concerning the rover's name.
China has already initiated the lunar landing phase of its manned lunar exploration program -- with a goal to achieve a manned lunar landing by 2030. The plan is to launch two carrier rockets to send a manned spacecraft and a lunar lander, respectively, into lunar orbit. The spacecraft and lunar lander will rendezvous and dock with each other, after which the astronauts will enter the lander.
According to Lin, a batch of ten astronauts will be engaged in a training regimen aimed at manned lunar landing missions.
These astronauts are scheduled to acquire skills in maneuvering spacecraft and operating lunar rovers, and will be trained to master techniques for identifying celestial bodies and conducting geological surveys. During their training they will also be exposed to the unique conditions of space, such as weightlessness in orbit, and the challenges of moving in lunar gravity on the moon's surface.
China releases latest development of manned lunar rover
China releases latest development of manned lunar rover
Foreign diplomats and scholars are looking closely at this year's "two sessions", saying China's 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) will not only chart the nation's economic and technological priorities but also reshape global value chains.
The fourth session of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the nation's top political advisory body, opened on Wednesday, followed by the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC) on Thursday. Together known as the "two sessions," these meetings offer a comprehensive view into China's development priorities.
Global observers emphasized that the 15th Five-Year Plan, a blueprint guiding the nation's economic, social, and technological priorities over the next five years, marks a decisive shift toward high‑quality growth anchored in advanced technologies, with ripple effects across the world.
"The two sessions will discuss China's five-year plan, which is heavily oriented toward China's major technological development. I believe this is important because it represents the new blueprint for China's economy, which is now oriented toward the renowned high-quality development, and this will undoubtedly impact the entire world. I think it is worth studying. This is very important for Latin America. It will help us integrate more intelligently into global value chains and into all aspects of the major development that China is promoting in iconic industrial sectors, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space development, where Latin America also has much to contribute beyond just commercial growth," said Gustavo Sabino Vaca Narvaja, former Argentine Ambassador to China.
"The two sessions are a major political milestone in China, and this year's gathering carries even greater significance as this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan. This plan represents not only a blueprint for China, but also a guide for other countries. Instruments like the five-year plan effectively provide greater certainty and predictability for the rest of the world," said Chilean scholar of international relations Ignacio Araya Heredia.
"This is a particularly important date, especially due to the fact that the next Five-Year Plan shall be positioned and we're going to see what its main elements shall be. Serbia, which has a very high degree of steel friendship with the People's Republic of China, can expect further assistance in identifying the most prominent areas of Serbian economy and being helped by its great partner, such as it has been done in the previous period, from one part with establishing the main infrastructure projects, but also reshaping the industrial sector of Serbia, not just Serbia, but the region as a whole," said Veljko Mijuskovic, assistant professor of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Belgrade.
Beyond the policy framework, experts also pointed to China's achievements in green energy and technological innovation as models worth emulating.
Tomasz Bielinski, adjunct professor at the University of Gdansk's Faculty of Economics, said the robotics displays at the 2026 China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala reflected China's broader push in technological innovation.
"I was really impressed about the robotics. I'm very impressed with Chinese development in the technological field, we can still make great deals with Chinese businessmen and we can cooperate together to use this technology for both the good of China and the European Union. I'm aware of the innovation especially in autonomous drive on the on the Chinese side," he said.
"We hope for more of China's economic cooperation, especially in trade and also in investment. Also, and the other focus, if I talk about the focus of the development, don't forget about the green energy. We know that China is great in the electric vehicle field. So because China's electric vehicles in Indonesia nowadays, since couple of years ago, are very, very popular," said Al Busyra Basnur, president of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association.
Observers see China's new five-year plan driving high-quality development, global tech shifts
