China is bolstering its space capabilities and is using its civilian program to mask its military objectives, US' National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson said.
"China has made extraordinary strides especially in the last 10 years, but they are very, very secretive," he said as he testified before the US House appropriations committee on NASA's budget for fiscal 2025 at the Capitol Hill on Wednesday (17 April), reports the Agence France-Presse (AFP).
"We believe that a lot of their so-called civilian space program is a military programme. And I think, in effect, we are in a race. We have not seen that demonstrated by China," he added.
He said he hoped Beijing would "come to its senses and understand that civilian space is for peaceful uses."
US should land on the Moon again before China does, as both nations pursue lunar missions, he added.
He also expressed concern that were Beijing to arrive first, it could say: "'Okay, this is our territory, you stay out.'"
US is planning to put astronauts back on the Moon in 2026 with its Artemis 3 mission.
China says it hopes to send humans to the moon by 2030.
Nelson said he was confident the United States would not lose its "global edge" in space exploration.
"But you got to be realistic. China has really thrown a lot of money at it and they have got a lot of room in their budget to grow. I think that we just better not let down our guard," Nelson said.
