According to today's China Daily, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov was quoted by Interfax-China Information Agency as saying his country is considering a joint project with China to study the moon, describing it as a "priority area."

"Russia is interested in broadening mutually beneficial cooperation with China in space exploration, which is an important component given the current level of bilateral relations," said Zhukov.

He is in China for the 9th Session of the Committee of the Sino-Russian Prime Ministers' Meeting, held yesterday, and today's 6th Session of Sino-Russian Cooperation Committee on Education, Culture, Public Health and Sports.

Zhukov said further Russian-Chinese cooperation in space exploration rests on complete and timely implementation of the Program for Bilateral Cooperation in Space for 2004-06.

The program includes a section entirely devoted to the moon, and Zhukov said a joint working group has been set up for studying the moon and distant space.

He said an international project to create an ultraviolet space observatory is likely to evolve into another major project.

Among other promising joint projects is the creation of a Russian-Chinese system of long-range radio interferometers using existing radio telescopes, and the Radioastron project, a mobile communication satellite and digital radio broadcasting system.

At a regular press conference in Beijing yesterday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kong Quan would not comment on Zhukov's remarks.

(China Daily November 2, 2005)