NASA chief to visit China

The chief administrator of NASA, Michael Griffin, will visit China for talks that may cover Sino-US cooperation on space projects. ?I think the United States always benefits from discussions and I do not see how it can hurt us,? Griffin told the US Senate Subcommittee on Science and Space. When asked if he saw China as a competitor or an ally, Griffin pointed out that, 20 years ago, it was inconceivable that the US and Russia would cooperate on an international space station. NASA said no date or agenda has been set for the meeting. China's first manned space mission took place in 2003, with a third taking place two years later. Officials have said they want to land an unmanned probe on the moon by 2010 and build a space station, prompting descriptions of China as a space rival to the US.