The United States and Russia aren’t the only two nations working hard at realizing their space-faring dreams. China has quickly ramped up its high-flying ambitions in the past couple of decades and late 2018 will mark a real milestone for the country’s space program. The country just announced that it plans on launching a lunar rover to the far side of the Moon in December of this year.

The announcement comes via China’s state-run news agency CCTV, and China seems bullish on the prospect of being the first country to explore the far side of Earth’s moon with a robotic rover.

The mission, named Chang’e 4, follows in the footsteps of its predecessor (you guessed it, Chang’e 3) which saw a rover nicknamed “Jade Rabbit” land on the near side of the Moon back in 2013. That rover ran out of steam in August of 2016, and the model that will be flying to the far side is built largely of backup parts from the Chang’e 3 mission.

“Its overall design is inherited from our last lunar rover,” Wu Weiren of China’s space agency said in an interview with CCTV. “But we worked hard to improve its reliability, conducting thousands of experiments to ensure its long-term operation, especially taking into consideration rocks, ravines and frictions on the moon.”

When it comes to space exploration, China is currently playing a game of catch up with other world powers. The country didn’t put much of a focus on space until relatively recently, but it’s made some impressive progress in recent years. Along with these lunar rovers and its own (somewhat ill-fated) space station launches, China has kicked around the idea of sending manned missions to the Moon as well as exploration efforts on Mars and beyond.

China’s most publicized space missions thus far have been solely scientific in their aims, but western governments have always seen the country’s space ambitions as a potential military threat. China has the largest military in the world, and while it’s always insisted that it has no intention of militarizing its space program, it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine them doing so, especially the United States succeeds in its newfound desire to create a “space force.”</s>SEOUL/TAIPEI: South Korea marked its first "memorial day" on Tuesday for girls and women forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels, with both of the US allies expressing concern that the emotionally charged issue could undermine their relations.

Under a 2015 deal, Japan apologised to the "comfort women", its euphemism for women - many of them Korean - forced to work in its wartime brothels, and provided a 1 billion yen (now $9.4 million) fund to help them. But South Korea has recently sought to revisit the issue.

"I hope that this issue will not lead to a diplomatic dispute between Korea and Japan. Nor do I see this is an issue that can be solved through diplomatic solutions between the two countries," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in comments marking the first "Memorial Day for Japanese Forces’ Comfort Women Victims".

"It is an issue that can be solved only when the world, including ourselves and Japan, deeply reflects on sexual violence against all women and human rights problems and comes to a strong awareness and learns a lesson in a way that prevents this from ever repeating again."

Japan insists the issue was resolved by the 2015 deal, struck with a previous, conservative South Korean administration. A senior Japanese official said differences with South Korea on the matter could undermine efforts to "develop a future-oriented relationship".

"We are concerned that this may spoil such endeavours," said the Japanese official, who declined to be identified. "We have reached out through diplomatic channels to stress the importance of steadily implementing the Japan-South Korea agreement," the official said, referring to the 2015 deal.

The bitterness over Japan’s wartime actions comes as concern about North Korea’s development of nuclear weapons and missiles has posed a threat to both South Korea and Japan, both of which play host to US military bases.

Moon’s administration has spotlighted the issue and has called for Japan to do more, despite backing down in January from a demand to formally renegotiate the 2015 deal. In March, Moon described Japan’s wartime use of the women as a crime against humanity.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga called the remarks "extremely regrettable". A monument was unveiled as part of the events to mark the day, chosen as it was on Aug 14, 1991, that South Korean comfort woman victim Kim Hak-sun became the first to give public testimony about her experience.

A think-tank funded by the South Korean government devoted to researching the issue also opened this month. Japan has protested over monuments in South Korea dedicated to the women, including one in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, as well as the decision to designate a day to remember the women.

The issue has been a regular source of animosity between Japan and neighbours including China, North and South Korea and Taiwan, where earlier on Tuesday, more than 50 activists protested in front of Japan’s representative office.</s>SEOUL: People in South Korea and Taiwan unveiled monuments and staged protests on Tuesday (Aug 14) to mark Japan's wartime use of "comfort women", a euphemism for girls and women forced to work in Japan's wartime brothels.

In South Korea, a new monument was unveiled as part of its first "Memorial Day for Japanese Forces' Comfort Women Victims," which threatens to exacerbate a sensitive diplomatic issue with Japan, South Korea's neighbour and a key ally of the United States in efforts to contain North Korea.

"My hope is that this issue will not lead to a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Japan. I also do not think that this will be solved by a bilateral diplomatic solution," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in commemoration of the day.

Moon said the issue involves "the entire world" and human rights of women as a whole, and pledged the South Korean government will respect the women as the main parties of the issue, and pursue commemorative projects to restore their honour and dignity including discovery, preservation and propagation of records.

Japan has said the issue was resolved by a 2015 deal, struck by a previous, conservative South Korean administration, under which Japan apologised to the victims and provided 1 billion yen (US$9.03 million) to a fund to support them.

But South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has spotlighted the emotionally-charged issue and has called for Japan to do more, despite backing down in January from formally renegotiating the deal.

In March, Moon described Japan's wartime use of comfort women as "crimes against humanity", with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga calling Moon's remarks "extremely regrettable."

Tokyo has protested over other existing monuments in South Korea dedicated to comfort women, including one in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, as well as the move late last year to establish a day to remember comfort women.

Aug 14 was chosen because on Aug 14, 1991, South Korean comfort woman victim Kim Hak-sun became the first to give a public testimony about her experience, according to the country's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

A think-tank funded by the South Korean government devoted to researching the issue also opened earlier this month.

The comfort women issue has been a regular cause for contention between Japan and neighbours including China and North and South Korea since the war.

On Tuesday morning, over 50 activists joined a sit-in protest in front of Japan's de facto embassy in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, asking for a formal apology and demanding monetary compensation for Taiwanese who were forced to work in its wartime brothels.

"Japanese government should apologise," the crowd shouted, wearing black shirts with their faces covered by white masks.

A bronze statue symbolising comfort women was also unveiled in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan on Tuesday morning, according to Taiwan’s leading newspaper United Daily News.

The unveiling, attended by former President Ma Ying-jeou, was organised by a local group and had nothing to do with the city government, an official from Tainan's Department of Information and International Relations told Reuters.

Japan colonised the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945 and occupied parts of China before and after the war.

Japan says the matter of compensation for the South Korean women was settled under a 1965 treaty. It says that in 2015, it agreed to provide the funds to help them heal "psychological wounds".</s>SEOUL/TAIPEI (Reuters) - People in South Korea and Taiwan unveiled monuments and staged protests on Tuesday to mark Japan’s wartime use of “comfort women”, a euphemism for girls and women forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels.

In South Korea, a new monument was unveiled as part of its first “Memorial Day for Japanese Forces’ Comfort Women Victims,” which threatens to exacerbate a sensitive diplomatic issue with Japan, South Korea’s neighbor and a key ally of the United States in efforts to contain North Korea.

“My hope is that this issue will not lead to a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Japan. I also do not think that this will be solved by a bilateral diplomatic solution,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in commemoration of the day.

Moon said the issue involves “the entire world” and human rights of women as a whole, and pledged the South Korean government will respect the women as the main parties of the issue, and pursue commemorative projects to restore their honor and dignity including discovery, preservation and propagation of records.

Japan has said the issue was resolved by a 2015 deal, struck by a previous, conservative South Korean administration, under which Japan apologized to the victims and provided 1 billion yen ($9.03 million) to a fund to support them.

But South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s administration has spotlighted the emotionally-charged issue and has called for Japan to do more, despite backing down in January from formally renegotiating the deal.

In March, Moon described Japan’s wartime use of comfort women as “crimes against humanity”, with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga calling Moon’s remarks “extremely regrettable.”

Tokyo has protested over other existing monuments in South Korea dedicated to comfort women, including one in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, as well as the move late last year to establish a day to remember comfort women.

August 14 was chosen because on August 14, 1991, South Korean comfort woman victim Kim Hak-sun became the first to give a public testimony about her experience, according to the country’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

A think-tank funded by the South Korean government devoted to researching the issue also opened earlier this month.

The comfort women issue has been a regular cause for contention between Japan and neighbors including China and North and South Korea since the war.

On Tuesday morning, over 50 activists joined a sit-in protest in front of Japan’s de facto embassy in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, asking for a formal apology and demanding monetary compensation for Taiwanese who were forced to work in its wartime brothels.

“Japanese government should apologize,” the crowd shouted, wearing black shirts with their faces covered by white masks.

A bronze statue symbolizing comfort women was also unveiled in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan on Tuesday morning, according to Taiwan’s leading newspaper United Daily News.

The unveiling, attended by former President Ma Ying-jeou, was organized by a local group and had nothing to do with the city government, an official from Tainan’s Department of Information and International Relations told Reuters.

Japan colonized the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945 and occupied parts of China before and after the war.

Japan says the matter of compensation for the South Korean women was settled under a 1965 treaty. It says that in 2015, it agreed to provide the funds to help them heal “psychological wounds”.</s>SEOUL/TAIPEI, Aug 14 (Reuters) - People in South Korea and Taiwan unveiled monuments and staged protests on Tuesday to mark Japan's wartime use of "comfort women", a euphemism for girls and women forced to work in Japan's wartime brothels.

In South Korea, a new monument was unveiled as part of its first "Memorial Day for Japanese Forces' Comfort Women Victims," which threatens to exacerbate a sensitive diplomatic issue with Japan, South Korea's neighbour and a key ally of the United States in efforts to contain North Korea.

"My hope is that this issue will not lead to a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Japan. I also do not think that this will be solved by a bilateral diplomatic solution," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in commemoration of the day.

Moon said the issue involves "the entire world" and human rights of women as a whole, and pledged the South Korean government will respect the women as the main parties of the issue, and pursue commemorative projects to restore their honor and dignity including discovery, preservation and propagation of records.

Japan has said the issue was resolved by a 2015 deal, struck by a previous, conservative South Korean administration, under which Japan apologised to the victims and provided 1 billion yen ($9.03 million) to a fund to support them.

But South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has spotlighted the emotionally-charged issue and has called for Japan to do more, despite backing down in January from formally renegotiating the deal.

In March, Moon described Japan's wartime use of comfort women as "crimes against humanity", with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga calling Moon's remarks "extremely regrettable."

Tokyo has protested over other existing monuments in South Korea dedicated to comfort women, including one in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, as well as the move late last year to establish a day to remember comfort women.

August 14 was chosen because on August 14, 1991, South Korean comfort woman victim Kim Hak-sun became the first to give a public testimony about her experience, according to the country's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

A think-tank funded by the South Korean government devoted to researching the issue also opened earlier this month.

The comfort women issue has been a regular cause for contention between Japan and neighbours including China and North and South Korea since the war.

On Tuesday morning, over 50 activists joined a sit-in protest in front of Japan's de facto embassy in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, asking for a formal apology and demanding monetary compensation for Taiwanese who were forced to work in its wartime brothels.

"Japanese government should apologise," the crowd shouted, wearing black shirts with their faces covered by white masks.

A bronze statue symbolising comfort women was also unveiled in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan on Tuesday morning, according to Taiwan´s leading newspaper United Daily News.

The unveiling, attended by former President Ma Ying-jeou, was organised by a local group and had nothing to do with the city government, an official from Tainan's Department of Information and International Relations told Reuters.

Japan colonised the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945 and occupied parts of China before and after the war.

Japan says the matter of compensation for the South Korean women was settled under a 1965 treaty. It says that in 2015, it agreed to provide the funds to help them heal "psychological wounds".</s>People in South Korea and Taiwan unveiled monuments and staged protests on Tuesday to mark Japan's wartime use of "comfort women," a euphemism for girls and women forced to work in Japan's wartime brothels.

In South Korea, a new monument was unveiled as part of its first "Memorial Day for Japanese Forces' Comfort Women Victims," which threatens to exacerbate a sensitive diplomatic issue with Japan, South Korea's neighbor and a key ally of the United States in efforts to contain North Korea.

"My hope is that this issue will not lead to a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Japan. I also do not think that this will be solved by a bilateral diplomatic solution," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in commemoration of the day.

 

 Moon said the issue involves "the entire world" and human rights of women as a whole, and pledged the South Korean government will respect the women as the main parties of the issue, and pursue commemorative projects to restore their honor and dignity including discovery, preservation and propagation of records.

 

 Japan has said the issue was resolved by a 2015 deal, struck by a previous, Conservative South Korean administration, under which Japan apologized to the victims and provided 1 billion yen ($9.03 million) to a fund to support them.

But South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has spotlighted the emotionally-charged issue and has called for Japan to do more, despite backing down in January from formally renegotiating the deal.

 

 In March, Moon described Japan's wartime use of comfort women as "crimes against humanity," with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga calling Moon's remarks "extremely regrettable."

Tokyo has protested over other existing monuments in South Korea dedicated to comfort women, including one in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, as well as the move late last year to establish a day to remember comfort women.

August 14 was chosen because on August 14, 1991, South Korean comfort woman victim Kim Hak-sun became the first to give a public testimony about her experience, according to the country's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

A think tank funded by the South Korean government devoted to researching the issue also opened earlier this month.

The comfort women issue has been a regular cause for contention between Japan and neighbors including China and North and South Korea since the war.

On Tuesday morning, over 50 activists joined a sit-in protest in front of Japan's de facto embassy in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, asking for a formal apology and demanding monetary compensation for Taiwanese who were forced to work in its wartime brothels.

"Japanese government should apologize," the crowd shouted, wearing black shirts with their faces covered by white masks.

A bronze statue symbolizing comfort women was also unveiled in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan on Tuesday morning, according to Taiwan’s leading newspaper United Daily News.

The unveiling, attended by former President Ma Ying-jeou, was organized by a local group and had nothing to do with the city government, an official from Taiwan's Department of Information and International Relations told Reuters.

Japan colonized the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945 and occupied parts of China before and after the war.

Japan says the matter of compensation for the South Korean women was settled under a 1965 treaty. It says that in 2015, it agreed to provide the funds to help them heal "psychological wounds."</s>SEOUL: People in South Korea and Taiwan unveiled monuments and staged protests on Tuesday (Aug 14) to mark Japan's wartime use of "comfort women", a euphemism for girls and women forced to work in Japan's wartime brothels.

In South Korea, a new monument was unveiled as part of its first "Memorial Day for Japanese Forces' Comfort Women Victims," which threatens to exacerbate a sensitive diplomatic issue with Japan, South Korea's neighbour and a key ally of the United States in efforts to contain North Korea.

"My hope is that this issue will not lead to a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Japan. I also do not think that this will be solved by a bilateral diplomatic solution," South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in commemoration of the day.

Moon said the issue involves "the entire world" and human rights of women as a whole, and pledged the South Korean government will respect the women as the main parties of the issue, and pursue commemorative projects to restore their honour and dignity including discovery, preservation and propagation of records.

Japan has said the issue was resolved by a 2015 deal, struck by a previous, conservative South Korean administration, under which Japan apologised to the victims and provided 1 billion yen (US$9.03 million) to a fund to support them.

But South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration has spotlighted the emotionally-charged issue and has called for Japan to do more, despite backing down in January from formally renegotiating the deal.

In March, Moon described Japan's wartime use of comfort women as "crimes against humanity", with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga calling Moon's remarks "extremely regrettable."

Tokyo has protested over other existing monuments in South Korea dedicated to comfort women, including one in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, as well as the move late last year to establish a day to remember comfort women.

Aug 14 was chosen because on Aug 14, 1991, South Korean comfort woman victim Kim Hak-sun became the first to give a public testimony about her experience, according to the country's Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

A think-tank funded by the South Korean government devoted to researching the issue also opened earlier this month.

The comfort women issue has been a regular cause for contention between Japan and neighbours including China and North and South Korea since the war.

On Tuesday morning, over 50 activists joined a sit-in protest in front of Japan's de facto embassy in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, asking for a formal apology and demanding monetary compensation for Taiwanese who were forced to work in its wartime brothels.

"Japanese government should apologise," the crowd shouted, wearing black shirts with their faces covered by white masks.

A bronze statue symbolising comfort women was also unveiled in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan on Tuesday morning, according to Taiwan’s leading newspaper United Daily News.

The unveiling, attended by former President Ma Ying-jeou, was organised by a local group and had nothing to do with the city government, an official from Tainan's Department of Information and International Relations told Reuters.

Japan colonised the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945 and occupied parts of China before and after the war.

Japan says the matter of compensation for the South Korean women was settled under a 1965 treaty. It says that in 2015, it agreed to provide the funds to help them heal "psychological wounds".</s>SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in said on Wednesday his planned third summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month would be another step towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and an end to the 1950-53 Korean War.

Moon said he hoped for speedy progress in talks between North Korea and the United States to achieve Pyongyang’s complete denuclearization.

He also said he aimed to begin construction of an inter-Korean railway this year, proposing an East Asian railroad community by including the United States, China, Japan, Russia and Mongolia. His remarks were made in a speech marking the 73rd anniversary of the peninsula’s liberation from Japanese rule from 1910-45.</s>SEOUL/TAIPEI (Reuters) - People in South Korea and Taiwan unveiled monuments and staged protests on Tuesday to mark Japan’s wartime use of “comfort women”, a euphemism for girls and women forced to work in Japan’s wartime brothels.

In South Korea, a new monument was unveiled as part of its first “Memorial Day for Japanese Forces’ Comfort Women Victims,” which threatens to exacerbate a sensitive diplomatic issue with Japan, South Korea’s neighbor and a key ally of the United States in efforts to contain North Korea.

“My hope is that this issue will not lead to a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Japan. I also do not think that this will be solved by a bilateral diplomatic solution,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said in commemoration of the day.

Moon said the issue involves “the entire world” and human rights of women as a whole, and pledged the South Korean government will respect the women as the main parties of the issue, and pursue commemorative projects to restore their honor and dignity including discovery, preservation and propagation of records.

Japan has said the issue was resolved by a 2015 deal, struck by a previous, conservative South Korean administration, under which Japan apologized to the victims and provided 1 billion yen ($9.03 million) to a fund to support them.

But South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s administration has spotlighted the emotionally-charged issue and has called for Japan to do more, despite backing down in January from formally renegotiating the deal.

In March, Moon described Japan’s wartime use of comfort women as “crimes against humanity”, with Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga calling Moon’s remarks “extremely regrettable.”

Tokyo has protested over other existing monuments in South Korea dedicated to comfort women, including one in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, as well as the move late last year to establish a day to remember comfort women.

August 14 was chosen because on August 14, 1991, South Korean comfort woman victim Kim Hak-sun became the first to give a public testimony about her experience, according to the country’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

A think-tank funded by the South Korean government devoted to researching the issue also opened earlier this month.

The comfort women issue has been a regular cause for contention between Japan and neighbors including China and North and South Korea since the war.

On Tuesday morning, over 50 activists joined a sit-in protest in front of Japan’s de facto embassy in Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, asking for a formal apology and demanding monetary compensation for Taiwanese who were forced to work in its wartime brothels.

“Japanese government should apologize,” the crowd shouted, wearing black shirts with their faces covered by white masks.

A bronze statue symbolizing comfort women was also unveiled in the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan on Tuesday morning, according to Taiwan’s leading newspaper United Daily News.

The unveiling, attended by former President Ma Ying-jeou, was organized by a local group and had nothing to do with the city government, an official from Tainan’s Department of Information and International Relations told Reuters.

Japan colonized the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945 and occupied parts of China before and after the war.

Japan says the matter of compensation for the South Korean women was settled under a 1965 treaty. It says that in 2015, it agreed to provide the funds to help them heal “psychological wounds”.</s>South Korean President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their meeting at the Peace House at the truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, South Korea, April 27, 2018.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in wants to create a Northeast Asian railroad community with North Korea, the United States, China, Japan, Russia and Mongolia, Yonhap News reported on Wednesday.

Speaking at an event marking his country's independence from Japanese rule, Moon said such a "community" could eventually herald the launch of a "multilateral security system" in the region, according to the report.

"This community will lead to an energy bloc and economic bloc in Northeast Asia by expanding our economic area to the northern continent and becoming the foundation of co-existence and prosperity in Northeast Asia," Moon projected, according to Yonhap.

The president's administration will seek to link railways and roads with the North before year-end, Yonhap said.

The initiative is one of many efforts that Seoul is undertaking to strengthen peace in Northeast Asia following June's milestone U.S.-North Korea summit. Since then, the reclusive regime has dismantled some missile engine testing facilities, but many question leader Kim Jong Un's willingness to deliver on the denuclearization promise he made to President Donald Trump.

Moon also called for broad energy and economic cooperation with the North on Wednesday, stressing his goal to politically unify both countries. "True liberation" will only be achieved when the two neighbors establish a lasting peace and economic relations, the head of state was quoted as saying.

The South Korean leader indicated that he will soon visit Pyongyang for a third bilateral summit with Kim. In May, the duo held their official second meeting at the border village of Panmunjom following an earlier summit in April.

For more on Moon's Wednesday speech, see Yonhap's full report.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in announces plans to create a Northeast Asian railroad community with North Korea, the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and Mongolia.