China and Russia are planning a joint mission to Mars that will not only bring samples back to earth but also land on one of the red planet's tiny moons, a Chinese space scientist has said in Beijing.

Ye Peijian, a leading scientist with the Chinese Research Institute of Space Technology, made the announcement at an ongoing forum on China's space technology development.

Ye said Russia will launch the spacecraft in 2009 and it will carry China-made survey equipment. It will collect samples on Mars and the planet's nearest moon.

Sun Laiyan, administrator of the China National Space Administration said last month at an international space conference that China is actively planning its deep space exploration over the next five years, focusing on lunar and Mars exploration.

"We will encourage other countries to take part in space science programs initiated by China, and Chinese scientists will participate in international space science programs," Sun said.

In February 2004, China began the Lunar Exploration Mission and started research and development on the Chang'e lunar probe.

China's space agency plans to launch its first lunar orbiter Chang'e I in 2007. In 2010, it will launch an unmanned spacecraft for a soft landing on the Moon.

In October 2005, Shenzhou VI initiated manned space lab experiments. China also launched four recoverable satellites.

Also attending the ongoing forum held by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Sun said that the priorities in China's future space program were manned space missions, lunar probes, the development of high resolution observation systems, second generation navigation and positional systems, and a new generation carrier rocket.