China has set its sights firmly on Mars and is aiming to launch a mission to the red planet by 2020, a top official has revealed.

Long-regarded as a secretive branch of the country's vast military, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) has been considered something of a lone wolf in the increasingly cooperative space race.

But the chief designer of lunar and Mars missions for the CNSA has opened up about the agency's plans for planetary exploration and future collaboration in a rare interview.

Scroll down for video

China wants to reach Mars by 2021, according to the chief designer of lunar and Mars missions for the CNSA. The top official opened up about the agency's plans for planetary exploration and future collaboration

In an interview with the BBC, Wu Weiren said the agency's short-term goal is to orbit and land on the moon as well as bring back lunar samples.

However, the agency's long-term goal is to explore and settle on the lunar surface, with manned missions staying longer on the surface and even establishing a research base.

The secretive agency has changed tack in recent years, releasing more data and images to the world, and publicising its successes.

Earlier this year a full set of images from the agency's lunar lander and rover – Chang'e 3 and Yutu or 'Jade Rabbit' – were made publicly available, providing some of the most detailed images of the lunar surface ever to have been released.

According to the mission chief, China plans to set a course for Mars, launching as early as 2020. It hopes to land a rover on the planet by the end of 2021. If successful, the Chinese would join the US (Nasa's Curiosity rover pictured), European and Indian space agencies in reaching the red planet

Earlier this month, China launched its SJ-10 satellite mission (pictured) which sent a number of experiments into low-Earth orbit. Included was a breakthrough experiment carrying mouse embryos, which were able to develop in microgravity, making the Chinese the first group in the world to successfully do so

In addition to the lunar base, Mr Wu revealed that the Chinese want to venture to the little-explored far side of the moon. Although whether this exploration will relate to mining activities, in order to tap the moon's potential veins of uranium, titanium and minerals.

CHINA'S MOON SHOT AND BEYOND In an interview with the BBC, mission chief Wu Weiren said the Chinese space agency's short-term goal is to orbit and land on the moon as well as bring back lunar samples. However, the long-term goals are to explore and settle on the lunar surface, establishing a research base. It is unclear as to whether this exploration will extend to mining activities, to tap the moon's potential veins of uranium, titanium, minerals and radioactive helium-3. According to the mission chief, China plans to set a course for Mars, reaching the planet by the end of 2021. If successful, the Chinese would join the US, European and Indian space agencies in successfully sending a probe to the red planet date. Advertisement

Previously, the agency has stated the importance of helium-3 to the future of its space programme, a radioactive isotope which may be abundant on the far side of the moon.

Mr Wu told the BBC: 'It's quite challenging to land there, but according to research, there might be water or ice because of the lack of sunlight.'

But the biggest surprise was the openness surrounding military-led agency's plans to visit Mars. According to the mission chief, the CNSA plans to set a course for the red planet in 2020.

However, he admitted that the agency could have started its Mars mission earlier, instead of flagging behind the US, European and Indian agencies.

Alluding to the stringent nature of national decision-making in China, he said 'finally the country has given its approval.'

'We will orbit Mars, land and deploy a rover – all in one mission,' Mr Wu confidently told the BBC.

Current and future planned missions are showing there are clear benefits to be gained from collaborative efforts in space exploration.

But while China may be seeking cooperative ventures, Nasa will not work with the CNSA due to its military status.

In an apparnet move towards increased data sharing, a full set of images from Chinese lunar lander and rover – Chang'e 3 and Yutu or 'Jade Rabbit' (pictured) – were made publicly available this year, providing some of the most detailed images of the lunar surface ever to have been released

While China may be seeking cooperative space ventures, Nasa will not work with CNSA due to its military status. CNSA has been largely successful in its space missions, launching its first female astronaut Liu Yang (pictured left) to the Chinese space station in 2012

The US senate has frequently rejected calls for closer collaboration between the two agencies, with a 2011 agreement banning the US space agency from engaging in bilateral agreements with the Chinese, with vocal opponents in the US government referring to China as 'an evil empire'.

SPURRED ON BY INDIA One of CNSA's rocket scientists, Yuan Minhui, was recently quoted by People's Daily saying the agency was spurred on after being 'defeated' by India's space agency in the race for an Asian probe to reach Mars. China partnered with Russia to launch a Mars-bound probe previously, but it failed to make it out of Earth's low orbit. India's Mars Orbiter Mission, called 'Mangalyaan', proved successful, reaching the red planet in 2014. Meanwhile, Nasa and Esa have launched another mission, called ExoMars, the first stage of which will taste the Martian atmosphere for methane, which could be a sign of geological activity, and even life. Advertisement

The European space agency has had limited collaborated with CNSA, working on a sun-focused satellite, called Double Star, which launched in 2001.

And the Chinese have already collaborated with the Russian agency Roscosmos on a failed Martian moon probe, which failed to make it out of low Earth orbit.

Commenting on the barriers ahead, Mr Wu said: 'We would like to cooperate with the US, especially for space and moon exploration. We would welcome this very much.'

He added: 'We have urged the US many times to get rid of restrictions, so scientists from both countries can work together on future exploration.'

To date, Nasa, Esa and Isro – the Indian space research organisation – have successfully sent probes and landers to Mars.

According to China Daily, CNSA plans to launch reach the red planet by the end of 2021.

A space scientist and political advisor Ye Peijian told the news outlet: 'There are many challenges in front of us...but I think it is likely we will send the probe to Mars given our all-out efforts, the know-how we gained from past missions and everybody's support.'

China is expected to reveal more details about its mission to Mars this week.