The China National Space Administration (CNSA) has identified the United States as a rival for the first time in a new strategic lunar plan. The new plan, called “Strategic Roadmap for the Development of International Lunar Research Station Resources”, was created under the leadership of Pei Zhaoyu, deputy director of the CNSA’s Center for Lunar Research and Space Engineering.

According to the Chinese document, in the next 20-30 years, the China International Lunar Research Station and the American Artemis program will compete for the use of resources in the south pole region of the Moon.

Chinese scientists assume that joint work of humans and intelligent machines will be established on the lunar surface by 2030, and from 2035 China plans to carry out full-scale mining and large-scale construction on the moon. This period will also see the completion of the development of the Moon’s resource research system, which will “cover a wide area of ​​thousands of kilometers.”

By 2045, China’s moon base will have power plants, factories, research institutes, rocket launch sites, tourism centers and a small underground city.