"A Chinese manned space flight would obviously be an important event in space launch history," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said.

"We wish them every success and wish their astronauts a safe return," he told reporters amid reports that China's first astronauts have arrived at space facility ahead of a launch expected later this year.

Chinese officials said on September 16 that the first launch would take place in the next three months but have been coy about when it would actually occur.

But speculation has intensified in recent days amid reports that the astronauts were in final preparations for the flight.

The pro-Beijing Wen Wei Po newspaper reported on Monday that a group of 14 Chinese astronauts had arrived at the launch site in Jiquan all of whom were in excellent physical and psychological condition.

The 14 had already undergone training at the base in Gansu province and were present at the launch of the unmanned Shenzhou IV spacecraft earlier this year.

The Shenzhou -- or "divine vessel" -- programme was launched in 1992 and has seen four flights so far.

China hopes to launch a space probe capable of orbiting the moon by 2005 or 2006, which would be the nation's first lunar mission and would eventually lead to a landing on the moon by an unmanned Chinese lunar spacecraft.

SPACE.WIRE