"The program is ready to proceed on schedule, and we do not see anything in the way technically," said Luo Ge, speaking through an interpreter at the International Space Business Assembly. Luo is the director general of foreign affairs for the China National Space Administration. When financing is secured for the program, he said, "we can send up a manned flight at our convenience."

At an impromptu press conference, Luo said that a timetable exists for the program, but that he was not able to give details.

"Technically, we do believe we are mature now, because we have already started the research on the individual components," he said. "I cannot give you an answer [about when it will be ready] because that is beyond my responsibility."

Despite a signed agreement between Russia and China to work together on space technology, Luo said, the craft will not be derived from the Russian Soyuz capsule.

"The manned space flight program is designed, developed and to be manufactured by ourselves," Luo said.

The Russia-China program centers more on short, occasional exchanges of professional and academic staff, Luo said, mostly focusing on space sciences such as microgravity. He said he did not know of any Chinese astronauts training in Russia.

Luo did not clarify the importance of a piloted program for the Chinese. While he did say, "to have manned space flight has always been the dream of the Chinese people," he also stressed that financial, rather than technical, problems are standing in the way of the program now.

"The financial arrangements for a manned program should be consistent with our financial resources," Luo said. "We have many problems to develop in space, and manned flight is just one of those."