By 2016, China could be a force to reckon with as far as space exploration is concerned. The country's five year space program, which was revealed Thursday, includes the launching of space laboratories, manned spaceships and ship freighters, while making preparations for the construction of space stations.

According to a paper which detailed China's space progress and future missions, China will also continue exploring the moon, and push forward its explorations of planets, asteroids and the sun. Other space projects include studying the properties of black holes, monitoring of space debris and small near-Earth celestial bodies.

The paper also reported China's plan to improve its launch vehicles, upgrade its communications, broadcasting and meteorological satellites and develop a global satellite navigation system that can rival the United States' dominant global positioning system (GPS) network.

The development of its space industry, which is seen as a symbol of national prestige, is one of the priorities of the Chinese government, in line with space principles that includes peaceful development, enhancing international cooperation and deep space exploration.

In 2003 China became the third country behind the U.S. and Russia to launch a man into space and completed a spacewalk five years later. Since 2006, China's Long March rockets have successfully launched 67 times, sending 79 spacecraft into orbit.

In 2007, it launched its first lunar probe, Chang'e-1, which orbited the moon, collecting data and a complete map of the moon. This year, it demonstrated automated docking between its Shenzhou 8 craft and the Tiangong 1 module, which will form part of a future space laboratory.

While China's program, notably the firing of a ground-based missile into one of its dead satellites four years ago, have alarmed other countries, Chinese authorities said its space program does not mean to set off a race to militarize space but rather it is for peaceful ends.

"China always adheres to the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and opposes weaponization or any arms race in outer space," the paper states, adding that the Chinese government's policy is to reinforce space cooperation with developing countries.

It added that it "value" space cooperation with developed countries, particularly Russia, Brazil, France and Britain, and the United States.