According to the national strategy of China by 2020 the country is supposed to join the club of leading powers of innovative type. A very special place in this strategy is assigned to space program. Space exploration is playing an important role in strengthening economic, scientific and technical potential of China, in bolstering its national defense and as well as solidarity of the Chinese nation.

The article gives the story of the main stages of development of Chinese space program. According to an estimate of the Russian Federal Space Agency, to day, the pace of development of rocket and space technology of China is quite comparable to that of Russia and the United States, leaders in exploration of the outer space.

By 2020 China intends to bring to earth orbit the space station Tyangun. It will provide the country with new possibilities for large-scale space experiments, as well as for developing military space technology.