Other plans, however, such as a manned mission to the moon, remain firmly in the realms of speculation though an unmanned moon rover is not out of the question.

ECONOMIST: China in space

After that, during this five year period China also plans to send a rover to the Moon, collect samples, and then return to Earth.

FORBES: China Unveils Its Five Year Plan For Space

After launching a lunar orbiter later this year, scientists will begin the process of choosing among several competing rover designs for exploring the Moon's geology and terrain, and now the first of these candidates has been unveiled for public consumption.

ENGADGET: Chinese engineers reveal nuclear-powered lunar rover