China says will send astronauts to moon by 2030

BEIJING, China: Amid its rivalry with the US for reaching new milestones in space, reflecting their competition for global influence, Chinese officials said this week that China's burgeoning space program plans to place astronauts on the moon before 2030 and expand the country's orbiting space station.

Meanwhile, as part of a renewed commitment to manned space missions, supported by private sector companies such