China is considering cooperating with other countries on Moon exploration, the deputy chief of China's National Space Administration (CNSA) said Wednesday.

"A study is being conducted to justify the importance of lunar exploration. We are considering working together with other countries in this sphere," Yang Liwei said.

Yang, who is the first Chinese astronaut to go to space, was speaking in the Russian city of Korolyov near Moscow, which is hosting a three-day conference on manned space exploration.

The CNSA space agency reportedly announced last month that a moon landing was among its short-term goals. According to the the China Daily newspaper, it plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2036.

China Plans Manned Moon Landing by 2036
Beijing plans to send astronauts to the moon by 2036, the deputy commander of the China Manned Space Program said.

It will take China some 15 to 20 years to prepare a manned lunar mission and to develop the relevant technologies, Lt. Gen. Zhang Yulin told the China Daily newspaper.

According to the newspaper, the news marked the country's first confirmation of the existence of a Chinese manned moon exploration program.

Earlier this month, China's National Space Administration (CNSA) reaffirmed its plans to land on Mars by 2021, and added that landing on the moon was among its other short-term goals as well.

Source: Sputnik News