“China took a significant step toward eventually landing a person on the moon with Monday’s successful launch of a rocket carrying its first moon rover, the ‘Jade Rabbit.’ The rocket blasted off from southwestern China at 1:30 a.m. Monday, a day after India’s maiden Mars mission left Earth’s orbit on its journey to the Red Planet, in what some observers characterize as Asia’s new space race.”
Source: China launches ‘Jade Rabbit’ rover to moon, precursor to manned mission – The Washington Post