Beijing: China and USA are locking horns over the moon exploration after NASA chief on Saturday said China might "take over" the moon for its military programme.
China on Monday called NASA Administrator Bill Nelson's concern an "irresponsible smear" adding that China always stood for building a community of nations in outer space, according to Reuters.
Nelson's comment comes in the wake of China's plans to send astronauts to the moon towards the end of this decade after its first lunar "unscrewed landing "in 2013, a move which NASA sees as a potential threat.
In an interview to German newspaper Bild, Nelson said that landing on the moon China might say it is "ours and you stay out".
Accusing China of stealing ideas and technology from others, he termed China's space programme a military one.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for Chinese foreign ministry said it was not the first time NASA chief had ignored facts and spoken irresponsibly about China.
The spokesperson further said that the US side constantly engaged in a smear campaign against China's "normal and reasonable" space endevaours.
China and USA are locked in competition nearly in every field—and space exploration is not an exception.
China has recently been making stunning gains in space studies, causing US to reckon the Asian power a potential threat to NASA's supremacy in the field.
Most recently, China's Martian exploration spacecraft sent home stunning pictures from across Mar's hitherto unseen valleys and plains.
NASA chief's attack on China reminisces cold war period standoff between erstwhile USSR and USA over mutually destructive nuclear attacks.
In the thick of it, USA initiated Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), which was nicked named as "Star Wars program" causing apprehension that wars could take to space.