China has no lunar base project: leading scientist

The world's third country to soft-land on the moon has no plan to build a lunar base there, a leading scientist of China's lunar probe mission told Xinhua Saturday.

But Ye Peijian, chief scientist of the Chang'e-3 program, also said that since man can land on the moon and stay there briefly, there will be the day when they can stay there for long time.

"From the rule of science and moon probe technology development, a place for long-term residence (on the moon) will be built eventually," added the scientist, who is also a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top political advisory body.

The CPPCC annual session is scheduled to open Monday.

Chang'e-3 is part of the second phase of China's lunar program, which includes orbiting, landing and returning to Earth. The country has also sent probes to orbit the moon in 2007 and 2010.